I. ˈdwel verb
( dwelt -lt ; also dwelled -lt, -ld ; dwelt also dwelled ; dwelling ; dwells )
Etymology: Middle English dwellen, from Old English dwellan to lead astray, go astray; akin to Old High German twellen to tarry, hesitate, Old Norse dvelja to delay, dvöl delay, Gothic dwalmōn to be mad, Old English dol foolish — more at dull
intransitive verb
1.
a. : live , reside
dwell for years in the same town
b. : to be or continue in some state or condition
dwelt in bondage to his mother — Edmund Fuller
c. : to exist or be present
wisdom must dwell in a mind so honest
d. : consist , lie
the poem's main interest dwells in its unusual imagery
2.
a. : to linger over something (as with the mind or eyes) — used with on or upon
sights on which the eyes may dwell with pleasure
her mind dwelt on his good qualities — Ellen Glasgow
b. : to speak or write with emphasis or at length — used with on or upon
dwelling eloquently on the power of Milton's prose style
transitive verb
obsolete : to inhabit or occupy as a place of residence
Synonyms: see reside
II. noun
( -s )
1. : a short interruption or intermission in the motion of a part of a machine that gives time for its own proper operation or for the operation of another part
2. : the time during which material is subjected to a particular operation (as in a manufacturing process)
the dwell during heat sealing of plastic
specifically : the time during which material to be printed is in contact with the printing surface