dwell

[ dwel ]

/ dwɛl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dwell ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), dwelt or dwelled, dwell·ing.

to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside.

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

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.

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

noun

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.

Nearby words

dwarves, dwayne, dwb, dweeb, dweeby, dwell, dwell on, dwell time, dweller, dwelling, dwelling house

Origin of dwell

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

Related forms

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dwell

It creates a cynicism in us that is not the most noble of things to dwell upon.
Ron Perlman's Secret Suicide Attempt|William O’Connor|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The portraits show the wide range of people that dwell within the culture.
London’s Pagan Counterculture Kings|Justin Jones|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To dwell on that for a moment is to get a sharp taste of the overarching issue that Liberty Ridge raises for us.
Gay Marriage Vs. the First Amendment|James Poulos|August 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I do not like this sense of God, this nothingness in which I now dwell.
How Losing My Daughter Changed My Faith|Kyle Cupp|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

There was nothing to dwell on because there would be countless more brunches and breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
Michael Hastings' Hunger for Life|Jack Gray|June 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But to do that, friend, a woman should dwell very near to Him who only hath immortality.
It Might Have Been|Emily Sarah Holt
I repeat that I have no heart to dwell upon these painful details.
The Life Of Sir John Falstaff|Robert B. Brough
A house was built; but the season was so far advanced that it could not be rendered fit to dwell in.
Ocean's Story; or Triumphs of Thirty Centuries|Edward Rowland
There is hardly any detail one cares to dwell on in St. Peter's.
George Eliot's Life, Vol. II (of 3)|George Eliot
Maolochtair replied: "So large a community cannot dwell in such a narrow place."
Lives of SS. Declan and Mochuda|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for dwell

dwell

/ (dwɛl) /

verb dwells, dwelling, dwelt (dwɛlt) or dwelled (intr)

formal, literary to live as a permanent resident

to live (in a specified state)to dwell in poverty

noun

a regular pause in the operation of a machine

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

Derived Forms

dweller, noun

Word Origin for dwell

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

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