From Longman Business Dictionarydwell timeˈdwell time [uncountable]MARKETING a calculation of the amount of time people spend waiting for something, such as a train, airline etc, and therefore the length of time they are likely to spend doing things while they wait, such as reading advertisements, buying food etcWith airline delays increasing passenger dwell time in terminals, it is in the financial self-interest of airports to serve up appealing distractions. → time