Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Dwell
Dwell
,Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Dwelled
, usually contracted into Dwelt
([GREEK]); p. pr. & vb. n.
Dwelling
.] 1.
To delay; to linger.
[Obs.]
2.
To abide; to remain; to continue.
I ’ll rather
dwell
in my necessity. Shakespeare
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.” Shak.
– To dwell on
or To dwell 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
Syn. – To inhabit; live; abide; sojourn; reside; continue; stay; rest.
Dwell
,Verb.
T.
To inhabit.
[R.]
Milton.
Webster 1828 Edition
Dwell
DWELL
,Verb.
I.
1.
To abide as a permanent resident, or to inhabit for a time; to live in a place; to have a habitation for some time or permanence.God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem. Genesis 9.
Dwell imports a residence of some continuance. We use abide for the resting of a night or an hour; but we never say, he dwelt in a place a day or a night. Dwell may signify a residence for life or for a much shorter period, but not for a day. In scripture, it denotes a residence of seven days during the feast of tabernacles.
Ye shall dwell in booths seven days. Leviticus 23.
The word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. John 1.
2.
To be in any state or condition; to continue.To dwell in doubtful joy.
3.
To continue; to be fixed in attention; to hang upon with fondness.The attentive queen dwelt on his accents.
They stand at a distance, dwelling on his looks and language, fixed in amazement.
4.
To continue long; as, to dwell on a subject, in speaking, debate or writing; to dwell on a note in music. Dwell, as a verb transitive, is not used. We who dwell this wild, in Milton, is not a legitimate phrase.