for a short time
"sit down and stay awhile"
"they settled awhile in Virginia before moving West"
"the baby was quiet for a while"
For some time; for a short time.
"I will stay here awhile before heading home."
In plain English: Awhile means for a short amount of time, but it is often used incorrectly when people mean to say they will do something after waiting for some duration.
"I waited for him awhile before leaving the party."
Awhile comes from Middle English anewhyle, which was formed by combining the words for "a" and "while." It entered modern usage as a shortened form of this older phrase to mean "for a short time."