babysit

or ba·by-sit

[ bey-bee-sit ]

verb (used without object)

, ba·by·sat, ba·by·sit·ting.

1. to take charge of a child while the parents are temporarily away.

verb (used with object)

, ba·by·sat, ba·by·sit·ting.

1. to take watchful responsibility for (a child):

   We're looking for someone to babysit the kids in the evening.

2. to take watchful responsibility for; tend:

   It will be necessary for someone to babysit the machine until it is running properly.

Other Words From

• ba·by·sit·ter ba·by-sit·ter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of babysit¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

I would babysit at the time, and all the money from babysitting would go into this.

From Los Angeles Times

“If you wouldn’t hire somebody to babysit your kids, then you shouldn’t make that guy the president of the United States,” she added.

From BBC

As the oldest of three siblings, I already had quite a bit of experience when Mr. C asked me to babysit his two young children.

From Los Angeles Times

But the couple first meet in the show’s second season when, through a miscommunication, they are both asked to babysit.

From Los Angeles Times

Rubin told Jansing that attorneys have deployed “a number of different devices” to keep Trump alert, making efforts to distract or babysit him.

From Salon