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dwell

v. · n.
US //ˈdwɛɫ// UK //dwˈɛl// dwell
Irregular verb past dwelt / dwelled past participle dwelt / dwelled
  1. 1 to think too much about (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to keep thinking or talking about something for a long time, especially something bad or sad.

    to linger on a particular thought, idea, or past event, typically with obsessive or regretful focus. Intransitive, usually taking the preposition 'on'.

    Example

    It is not healthy to dwell on your past mistakes for too long.

    Example

    The speaker chose not to dwell on the recent budget cuts, focusing instead on the ambitious expansion plans for the coming fiscal year.
  2. 2 to live somewhere (v.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    to live in a specified place.

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

    Example

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

    Example

    In his later poetry, he often wrote of the spirits that supposedly dwell within the rugged peaks of his homeland.
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  1. 3 a mechanical pause (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Engineering

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

    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.

    Example

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

    Example

    Adjusting the dwell time on the assembly line ensured that the robotic arm had sufficient clearance before the conveyor resumed its cycle.
  2. 4 engine ignition timing (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Engineering

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰwel-der. Proto-Germanic *dwalaz Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Germanic *-janą Proto-Germanic *dwaljaną Proto-West Germanic *dwalljan Old English dwellan ▲ Old Norse dveljainflu. Middle English dwellen English dwell From Middle English dwellen (“delay, live, remain, persist”), from Old English dwellan (“to mislead, deceive; be led into error, stray”), from Proto-Germanic dwaljaną (“to hold up, delay; hesitate”), from Proto-Indo-European dʰwelH- (“to whirl, swirl, blur, obfuscate”), which is cognate with Old Norse dvelja and related to Proto-Germanic *dwelaną (“to go astray”), which underwent semantic change in its descendants. Cognates include Danish dvæle (“to linger, dwell”) and Swedish dväljas (“to dwell, reside”).

Word family

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