What does "suspension" mean?

1. (temporary stop) the act of stopping or delaying something for a short period of time. 2. (disciplinary punishment) a punishment where a student or worker is told to stay away for a while. 3. (vehicle parts) the system of springs that helps a car or bike travel smoothly over bumps. 4. (chemical mixture) a liquid that has small pieces of solid mixed in it but not dissolved. 5. (musical note) holding a note from one chord into the next to create a temporary tension.

How do you use "suspension"?

Often used with the preposition 'in'.

suspension

US //səˈspɛnʃən// UK //səspˈɛnʃən// sus·pen·sion

1 temporary stop (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the act of stopping or delaying something for a short period of time.

the temporary cessation or postponement of an activity, process, or payment.

Example

The suspension of the train service caused a lot of trouble for commuters.

Example

The sudden suspension of trade talks led to immediate volatility in the international markets as investors feared a prolonged stalemate.
- continuation
- resumption
2 disciplinary punishment (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Law

a punishment where a student or worker is told to stay away for a while.

a disciplinary measure involving the temporary removal of a person from their position, school, or workplace.

Example

The player received a three-game suspension for his behavior on the field.

Example

The board decided that a two-week suspension was a necessary response to the employee's repeated violations of the safety protocol.
- exclusion
- ban
- reinstatement

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3 vehicle parts (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the system of springs that helps a car or bike travel smoothly over bumps.

the system of springs, shock absorbers, and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels and allows relative motion between the two.

Example

The old car has a very soft suspension, so you don't feel the bumps in the road.

Example

Engineers tuned the suspension to provide a balance between high-speed stability and passenger comfort on uneven surfaces.
- springs
- shocks
4 chemical mixture (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Science

a liquid that has small pieces of solid mixed in it but not dissolved.

a heterogeneous mixture containing solid particles sufficiently large for sedimentation.

Example

You must shake the medicine well because it is a suspension.

Example

The laboratory analysis revealed fine particles of silt held in suspension within the water samples collected from the river mouth.

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'in'.
- mixture
- emulsion
- solution
5 musical note (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Music

holding a note from one chord into the next to create a temporary tension.

a means of creating tension by prolonging a note from a previous chord into a new chord where it is dissonant.

Example

The composer used a suspension to make the ending of the song feel more emotional.

Example

The piece reaches its emotional peak through a series of suspensions that delay the final harmonic resolution.
- dissonance
- delay
- resolution

Origin

Borrowed from Late Latin suspensiōnem (“arching, vaulting; suspension”), from suspendēre (“to hang up, to suspend”), from sub- (“under”) + pendere (“to hang, to suspend”), from Proto-Italic pendō (“to hang, to put in a hanging position”), from Proto-Indo-European (s)pénd-e-ti, from *(s)pend- (“to pull; to spin”)). Compare Anglo-Norman suspensiun, French suspension, Occitan suspensio.