dwell

[ dwel ]
See synonyms for: dwelldwellingdweltdweller on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),dwelt [dwelt] /dwɛlt/ or dwelled, dwell·ing.
  1. to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside.

  2. to live or continue in a given condition or state: to dwell in happiness.

  1. to linger over, emphasize, or ponder in thought, speech, or writing (often followed by on or upon): to dwell on a particular point in an argument.

  2. (of a moving tool or machine part) to be motionless for a certain interval during operation.

noun
  1. Machinery.

    • a flat or cylindrical area on a cam for maintaining a follower in a certain position during part of a cycle.

    • a period in a cycle in the operation of a machine or engine during which a given part remains motionless.

Origin of dwell

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English dwellen “to lead astray; stun; abide,” Old English dwellan “to lead or go astray; hinder”; cognate with Old Norse dvelja

Other words from dwell

  • dwell·er, noun
  • out·dwell, verb (used with object), out·dwelt or out·dwelled, out·dwell·ing.
  • pre·dwell, verb (used without object)

Words Nearby dwell

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use dwell in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dwell

dwell

/ (dwɛl) /


verbdwells, dwelling, dwelt (dwɛlt) or dwelled (intr)
  1. formal, literary to live as a permanent resident

  2. to live (in a specified state): to dwell in poverty

noun
  1. a regular pause in the operation of a machine

  2. a flat or constant-radius portion on a linear or rotary cam enabling the cam follower to remain static for a brief time

Origin of dwell

1
Old English dwellan to seduce, get lost; related to Old Saxon bidwellian to prevent, Old Norse dvelja, Old High German twellen to prevent

Derived forms of dwell

  • dweller, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012