suspension

Everyday

1. Suspension is when a pupil is not allowed to come to school for a time as a punishment. tree →
2. A suspension is a pause or stop to something for a time: suspension of a game or service. tree →
3. A vehicle's suspension is the springs and parts that make the ride smooth over bumps. tree →
4. (science) A suspension is a liquid with tiny bits of a solid floating in it that do not dissolve, like muddy water. tree →

In the lessons

In school life: suspension for serious bad behaviour. In science: mixtures — solution, suspension; filtering removes the solid bits. In technology: suspension bridges hang from cables; car suspension. Phrases: suspension bridge, on suspension, suspension of play.

Examples

• The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge. tree →
• He got a two-day suspension for fighting. tree →
• Muddy water is a suspension, so we can filter it. tree →
• The suspension of play was due to rain. tree →
• The car's suspension made the bumpy ride smooth. tree →
• There was a suspension of train services during the storm. tree →

Note

Verb: suspend. Countable or uncountable. In science: in a solution the solid dissolves (salt water); in a suspension it does not, and settles if left (muddy water). Suspension of disbelief means pretending a story is real while you enjoy it.