dwell

C1 · Advanced Literary

v. to live in a specified place.

v. to reside or have one's habitation in a particular location. Intransitive; often followed by a prepositional phrase of place.

“The old stories tell of strange creatures that dwell deep in the forest.”

“In his later poetry, he often wrote of the spirits that supposedly dwell within the rugged peaks of his homeland.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Engineering Technical

n. a short pause in the movement of a machine to let a task finish.

n. a deliberate, timed pause in the motion of a mechanical part or a control sequence to allow for a specific operation. Often used as a modifier in technical compounds.

“The machine has a two-second dwell to let the glue dry before the next step.”

“Adjusting the dwell time on the assembly line ensured that the robotic arm had sufficient clearance before the conveyor resumed its cycle.”

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Engineering Technical

n. the time that electrical points stay closed in an engine to build up power for a spark.

n. the period or angle during which the ignition contact breaker points remain closed to allow current to flow through the primary coil.

“If the dwell is not set correctly, the car engine might not start easily.”

“The mechanic used a specialized meter to verify that the dwell angle was within the manufacturer's specifications for a four-cylinder engine.”