suspend

• POS: Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: sus=pend

CIDE DICTIONARY

suspend, v. t. [F. suspendre, or OF. souspendre (where the prefix is L. subtus below, from sub under), L. suspendere, suspensum; pref. sus- (see Sub-) + pendere to hang. See Pedant, and cf. Suspense, n.].

•  To attach to something above; to hang; as, to suspend a ball by a thread; to suspend a needle by a loadstone.  [1913 Webster]
•  To make to depend; as, God hath suspended the promise of eternal life on the condition of obedience and holiness of life.  Tillotson.  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause to cease for a time; to hinder from proceeding; to interrupt; to delay; to stay.  [1913 Webster]

  "Suspend your indignation against my brother."  [1913 Webster]

  "The guard nor fights nor fies; their fate so near
  At once suspends their courage and their fear."  [1913 Webster]
•  To hold in an undetermined or undecided state; as, to suspend one's judgment or opinion.  Locke.  [1913 Webster]
•  To debar, or cause to withdraw temporarily, from any privilege, from the execution of an office, from the enjoyment of income, etc.; as, to suspend a student from college; to suspend a member of a club.  [1913 Webster]

  "Good men should not be suspended from the exercise of their ministry and deprived of their livelihood for ceremonies which are on all hands acknowledged indifferent."  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause to cease for a time from operation or effect; as, to suspend the habeas corpus act; to suspend the rules of a legislative body.  [1913 Webster]
•  To support in a liquid, as an insoluble powder, by stirring, to facilitate chemical action.  [1913 Webster]

To suspend payment (Com.), to cease paying debts or obligations; to fail; -- said of a merchant, a bank, etc.

Syn. -- To hang; interrupt; delay; intermit; stay; hinder; debar.

suspend, v. i. 

 To cease from operation or activity; esp., to stop payment, or be unable to meet obligations or engagements (said of a commercial firm or a bank).  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

suspend, v.tr.
1 hang up.
2 keep inoperative or undecided for a time; defer.
3 debar temporarily from a function, office, privilege, etc.
4 (as suspended adj.) (of solid particles or a body in a fluid medium) sustained somewhere between top and bottom.

Idiom

suspended animation a temporary cessation of the vital functions without death. suspended sentence a judicial sentence left unenforced subject to good behaviour during a specified period. suspend payment (of a company) fail to meet its financial engagements; admit insolvency.

Derivative

suspensible adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF suspendre or L suspendere suspens- (as SUB-, pendere hang)

THESAURUS

suspend

abolish, abrogate, adjourn, annul, arrest, attach, blackball, boot, bounce, break, break off, bump, bust, can, cancel, cashier, cease, check, cleanse, cleanse away, continue, countermand, counterorder, cut off, dangle, debar, deconsecrate, defer, defrock, degrade, delay, deliver, demote, depend, deplume, depose, deprive, dethrone, disannul, disbar, discharge, discontinue, discrown, disemploy, disenthrone, dismiss, displace, displume, do away with, drag out, drum out, eject, eliminate, evict, exclude, excommunicate, expel, extend, fasten, fasten up, fire, free, free from, furlough, give release, give respite, give the ax, give the gate, hang, hang fire, hang up, hold off, hold over, hold up, intermit, interrupt, invalidate, kick, kick upstairs, lay aside, lay by, lay off, lay over, let go, let out, liquidate, make redundant, make void, nullify, oust, override, overrule, overthrow, pension, pension off, pigeonhole, postpone, prolong, prorogate, prorogue, protract, purge, purge away, push aside, put aside, put off, put on ice, put up, read out of, recall, recant, recess, reject, release, remove, remove from office, renege, repeal, replace, reprieve, rescind, reserve, retire, retract, reverse, revoke, sack, separate forcibly, set aside, set by, shelve, shift off, sleep on, sling, snap the thread, stand over, stave off, stay, stop, stretch out, strip, strip of office, strip of rank, superannuate, surplus, swing, table, take a break, take a recess, turn off, turn out, unchurch, unfrock, unsaddle, unseat, unthrone, vacate, void, waive, withdraw, withhold, write off

ROGET THESAURUS

suspend

Lateness

VB be late, tarry, wait, stay, bide, take time, dawdle, linger, loiter, bide one's time, take one's time, gain time, hang fire, stand over, lie over, put off, defer, delay, lay over, suspend, table, shift off, stave off, waive, retard, remand, postpone, adjourn, procrastinate, dally, prolong, protract, spin out, draw out, lengthen out, stretch out, prorogue, keep back, tide over, push to the last, drive to the last, let the matter stand over, reserve, temporize, consult one's pillow, sleep on it, lose an opportunity, be kept waiting, dance attendance, kick one's heels, cool one's heels, faire antichambre, wait impatiently, await, sit up, sit up at night.

Cessation

VB cease, discontinue, desist, stay, halt, break off, leave off, hold, stop, pull up, stop short, stick, hang fire, halt, pause, rest, burn out, blow out, melt down, have done with, give over, surcease, shut up shop, give up, hold one's hand, stay one's hand, rest on one's oars repose on one's laurels, come to a stand, come to a standstill, come to a deadlock, come to a full stop, arrive, go out, die away, wear away, wear off, pass away, be at an end, disintegrate, self-destruct, intromit, interrupt, suspend, interpel, intermit, remit, put an end to, put a stop to, put a period to, derail, turn off, switch off, power down, deactivate, disconnect, bring to a stand, bring to a standstill, stop, cut short, arrest, stem the tide, stem the torrent, pull the check-string, pull the plug on, Int, hold!, stop!, enough!, avast!, have done!, a truce to!, soft!, leave off!, tenez!.

Pendency

VB be pendent, hang, depend, swing, dangle, swag, daggle, flap, trail, flow, beetle, suspend, hang, sling, hook up, hitch, fasten to, append.