dwell
- 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.
- 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
dwell on
dwell upon
- (intr, preposition) to think, speak, or write at lengthit's no good dwelling on your misfortunes
dwell
- formal, literary to live as a permanent resident
- to live (in a specified state)to dwell in poverty
- 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
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for dwell on
dwell
v.
Old English dwellan "to mislead, deceive," originally "to make a fool of, lead astray," from Proto-Germanic *dwaljanan (cf. Old Norse dvöl "delay," dvali "sleep;" Middle Dutch dwellen "to stun, make giddy, perplex;" Old High German twellen "to hinder, delay;" Danish dvale "trance, stupor," dvaelbær "narcotic berry," source of Middle English dwale "nightshade"), from PIE *dhwel-, from root *dheu- (1) "dust, cloud, vapor, smoke" (and related notions of "defective perception or wits").
Related to Old English gedweola "error, heresy, madness." Sense shifted in Middle English through "hinder, delay," to "linger" (c.1200, as still in phrase to dwell upon), to "make a home" (mid-13c.). Related: Dwelled; dwelt; dwells.
Idioms and Phrases with dwell on
dwell on
Also, dwell upon. Linger over; ponder, speak or write at length. For example, Let's not dwell on this topic too long; we have a lot to cover today. [c. 1500]