suspension

Mixture consisting of small solid particles dispersed in a liquid or gas, which will settle on standing. An example is milk of magnesia, which is a suspension of magnesium hydroxide in water.

suspension

In this example the top voice (note C) is suspended before resolution on note B.

In music, a progression of chords in which one note of a chord is tied over to the next chord, while the other voices move to a new harmony, thereby causing dissonance with the tied note. The dissonance is traditionally resolved by the tied note moving a step lower, to a note consonant with the local harmony.

suspension

In earth science, the sediment that is carried by a river, or a wave, and is kept off the floor (bed) of the river, or shore. The material is carried within the body of water and is held up by turbulent flow. Most of the particles are less than 0.2 mm/0.01 in in diameter. In a glacier, most of the load is held in suspension by layers of ice.