| dwell | 1. To delay; to linger. 2. To abide; to remain; to continue. "I 'll rather dwell in my necessity." (Shak) "Thy soul was like a star and dwelt apart." (Wordsworth) 3. To abide as a permanent resident, or for a time; to live in a place; to reside. "The parish in which I was born, dwell, and have possessions." (Peacham) "The poor man dwells in a humble cottage near the hall where the lord of the domain resides." (C. J. Smith) To dwell in, to abide in (a place); hence, to depend on. "My hopes in heaven to dwell." . To dwell on or upon, to continue long on or in; to remain absorbed with; to stick to; to make much of; as, to dwell upon a subject; a singer dwells on a note. "They stand at a distance, dwelling on his looks and language, fixed in amazement." (Buckminster) Synonym: To inhabit, live, abide, sojourn, reside, continue, stay, rest. Origin: Dwelled, usually contracted into Dwelt; Dwelling] [OE. Dwellen, dwelien, to err, linger, AS. Dwellan to deceive, hinder, delay, dwelian to err; akin to Icel. Dvelja to delay, tarry, Sw. Dvaljas to dwell, Dan. Dvaele to linger, and to E. Dull. See Dull, and cf. Dwale. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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