dwell time

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   The amount of time something spends staying in one place or state, such as a train at a station or a visitor on a web page.

   Grammar: Can be uncountable (dwell time matters) or countable with a number (a short dwell time).

   Patterns

   • dwell time at somewhere
   • dwell time on something

   The train's dwell time at the platform is only two minutes.

   Longer dwell time on a page suggests readers find it useful.

   Shorter dwell times let buses run more frequently.

2. 2nouncountable or uncountabletechnical

   In manufacturing or processing, the period a material stays under a given condition, such as heat or pressure.

   Grammar: Often followed by in or at a setting.

   Patterns

   • dwell time in something

   The dwell time in the oven affects the finish.

   A longer dwell time improves bonding of the adhesive.

   The cleaning agent needs a dwell time of ten minutes.

Word forms

Common combinations

average dwell time

Average dwell time on the page is under a minute.

reduce dwell time

The railway aims to reduce dwell time.

station dwell time

Station dwell time varies with passenger numbers.

increase dwell time

Videos help increase dwell time on a site.

Synonyms and how they differ

stopping time

Stopping time is plainer and only about vehicles, whereas dwell time is the technical term across fields.

time on page

Time on page is specific to websites, while dwell time is broader.

residence time

Residence time is used in science for how long a substance stays in a system.

Opposites

Word family

dwell verb

to live or stay

dweller noun

person living in a place

dwelling noun

a place to live

dwelt verb

past tense of dwell

Commonly confused: dwell time or dwelling time?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “dwell time”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words