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dwell

[ dwel ]
/ dwɛl /
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See synonyms for: dwell / dwelling / dwelt / dweller on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object), dwelt [dwelt] /dwɛlt/ 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.
  1. a flat or cylindrical area on a cam for maintaining a follower in a certain position during part of a cycle.
  2. a period in a cycle in the operation of a machine or engine during which a given part remains motionless.
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Origin of dwell

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, 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. 2023

Words related to dwell

bide, exist, hole up, inhabit, reside, squat, abide, bunk, continue, crash, flop, locate, lodge, nest, occupy, park, perch, quarter, remain, rent

How to use dwell in a sentence

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 of dwell

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
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