Suspension
səˈspenʃən
Definitions
3 meaningsThe act of suspending or the state of being suspended; a temporary cessation of something.
səˈspenʃən
The act of suspending something
The suspension of the game was caused by a power outage.
💡 Simply: Imagine a teacher telling you, "You're taking a time-out from school for a few days." That time-out is like a suspension—a temporary stop to something.
👶 For kids: When something is paused or stopped for a little while, like when you can't play with your toys for a short time.
More Examples
The company announced a temporary suspension of operations due to the crisis.
The student's suspension from school lasted for a week.
How It's Used
"The driver's license was under suspension."
"The student faced suspension from school for his behavior."
A system of supports for something, especially for a vehicle or a bridge.
səˈspenʃən
A device for supporting something
The car's suspension absorbs shocks from the road.
💡 Simply: Think of the bouncy part of a car. That's its suspension! It helps you avoid feeling every bump in the road. Or the cables that hold up a bridge - those are part of the suspension.
👶 For kids: Like a car's special springs that help you have a smooth ride, or the ropes that hold up a bridge.
More Examples
The bridge's suspension cables were inspected for safety.
Modern car suspensions are designed for comfort and performance.
How It's Used
"The car's suspension provided a smooth ride on the bumpy road."
"The architect designed a suspension bridge."
A mixture in which solid particles are dispersed throughout a liquid, but are not dissolved.
səˈspenʃən
The state of a substance in a liquid
A suspension of the drug was injected into the patient.
💡 Simply: It's like mixing sand in water. The sand doesn't dissolve like sugar does; it just floats around in the water for a while. That's a suspension.
👶 For kids: When tiny bits of stuff are floating around in a liquid, like paint or medicine.
More Examples
The scientist studied the stability of the suspension.
The paint can be considered a suspension of the pigment in the carrier.
How It's Used
"The paint was a suspension of pigment particles in a liquid medium."
"The medicine was administered as a suspension."
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
in suspension
In a state of being temporarily stopped or held back.
"The project was held in suspension pending further investigation."
From Latin *suspensio* ('a hanging up, interruption'), from *suspendere* ('to hang up, suspend'), from *sub-* ('up') + *pendere* ('to hang').
Used since the late 14th century, initially in legal and religious contexts related to temporary delays or prohibitions.
Memory tip
Think of a teacher saying, "Your suspension is a temporary break!"