sus|pend

sus|pend «suh SPEHND», transitive verb.

1. to hang down by attaching to something above, especially so as to allow movement about the point of attachment: »

The lamp was suspended from the ceiling.

SYNONYM(S): dangle, swing.

2. to hold in place as if by hanging; cause to be held up by gravity, buoyancy, or other force: »

We saw the smoke suspended in the still air.

3. to hold or cause to be held in suspension.

4. to stop for a time: »

to suspend work on a road until more funds are voted. We suspended building operations during the winter. The hurricane suspended all ferry service for three days.

SYNONYM(S): interrupt, intermit.

5. to remove or exclude for a time from some office, privilege, or job; debar temporarily: »

He was suspended from school for a week for bad conduct.

6. to defer temporarily (sentence on a convicted person).

7. to cause (a law or rule) to be for a time no longer in force; abrogate or make inoperative temporarily: »

The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended (Constitution of the United States).

8. to keep undecided or undetermined; put off: »

Let us suspend judgment until we know all the facts. The court suspended judgment until next Monday.

SYNONYM(S): defer.

–v.i.

1. to come to a stop for a time.

2. to stop payment; be unable to pay debts or claims.

╂[< Latin suspendere < sub- down, under + pendere hang]