sit

¹

[ sit ]

verb (used without object)

, sat or (Archaic) sate [sat, seyt]; sat or (Archaic) sit·ten [sit, -n]; sit·ting.

1. to rest with the body supported by the buttocks or thighs; be seated.
2. to be located or situated:

   The house sits well up on the slope.

3. to rest or lie (usually followed by on or upon ):

   An aura of greatness sits easily upon him.

4. to place oneself in position for an artist, photographer, etc.; pose:

   to sit for a portrait.

5. to remain quiet or inactive:

   They let the matter sit.

6. (of a bird) to perch or roost.
7. (of a hen) to cover eggs to hatch them; brood.
8. to fit, rest, or hang, as a garment:

   The jacket sits well on your shoulders.

9. to occupy a place or have a seat in an official assembly or in an official capacity, as a legislator, judge, or bishop.
10. to be convened or in session, as an assembly.

    Synonyms: gather, convene, assemble, meet

11. to act as a baby-sitter.
12. (of wind) to blow from the indicated direction:

    The wind sits in the west tonight.

13. to be accepted or considered in the way indicated:

    Something about his looks just didn't sit right with me.

14. Informal. to be acceptable to the stomach:

    Something I ate for breakfast didn't sit too well.

15. Chiefly British. to take a test or examination:

    I’m studying now, and I plan to sit in June.

verb (used with object)

, sat or (Archaic) sate [sat, seyt]; sat or (Archaic) sit·ten [sit, -n]; sit·ting.

1. to cause to sit; seat (often followed by down ):

   Sit yourself down. He sat me near him.

2. to sit astride or keep one's seat on (a horse or other animal):

   She sits her horse gracefully.

3. to provide seating accommodations or seating room for; seat:

   Our dining-room table only sits six people.

4. Informal. to serve as baby-sitter for:

   A neighbor can sit the children while you go out.

5. Chiefly British. to take (a test or examination):

   She finally received permission to sit the exam at a later date.

verb phrase

1. 1. to stay to the end of:

      Though bored, we sat out the play.

   2. to surpass in endurance:

      He sat out his tormentors.

   3. to keep one's seat during (a dance, competition, etc.); fail to participate in:

      We sat out all the Latin-American numbers.

2. to be a spectator, observer, or visitor at:

   to sit in on classes.

3. 1. to inquire into or deliberate over:

      A coroner's jury was called to sit on the case.

   2. Informal. to suppress; silence:

      They sat on the bad news as long as they could.

   3. Informal. to check or rebuke; squelch:

      I'll sit on him if he tries to interrupt me.

4. 1. to attend or take part as a visitor or temporary participant:

      to sit in at a bridge game; to sit in for the band's regular pianist.

   2. to take part in a sit-in.
5. 1. to rise from a supine to a sitting position.
   2. to delay the hour of retiring beyond the usual time.
   3. to sit upright; hold oneself erect.
   4. Informal. to become interested or astonished:

      We all sat up when the holiday was announced.

6. 1. to take a seat.
   2. to descend to a sitting position; alight.
   3. to take up a position, as to encamp or besiege:

      The military forces sat down at the approaches to the city.

sit

²

[ sit ]

verb

1. (in prescriptions) may it be.

SIT

¹

abbreviation for

1. stay in touch

sit

²

/ sɪt /

verb

1. also tr; when intr, often foll by down, in, or on to adopt or rest in a posture in which the body is supported on the buttocks and thighs and the torso is more or less upright

   sit a horse

   to sit on a chair

2. tr to cause to adopt such a posture
3. (of an animal) to adopt or rest in a posture with the hindquarters lowered to the ground
4. (of a bird) to perch or roost
5. (of a hen or other bird) to cover eggs to hatch them; brood
6. to be situated or located
7. (of the wind) to blow from the direction specified
8. to adopt and maintain a posture for one's portrait to be painted, etc
9. to occupy or be entitled to a seat in some official capacity, as a judge, elected representative, etc
10. (of a deliberative body) to be convened or in session
11. to remain inactive or unused

    his car sat in the garage for a year

12. to rest or lie as specified

    the nut was sitting so awkwardly that he couldn't turn it

13. (of a garment) to fit or hang as specified

    that dress sits well on you

14. to weigh, rest, or lie as specified

    greatness sits easily on him

15. tr to take (an examination)

    he's sitting his bar finals

16. usually foll by for to be a candidate (for a qualification)

    he's sitting for a BA

17. intr; in combination to look after a specified person or thing for someone else

    granny-sit

18. tr to have seating capacity for
19. sitting pretty informal.
    well placed or established financially, socially, etc
20. sit tight
    1. to wait patiently; bide one's time
    2. to maintain one's position, stand, or opinion firmly

Confusables Note

See set.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sit¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English sitten, Old English sittan; cognate with Dutch zitten, German sitzen, Old Norse sitja; akin to Gothic sitan, Latin sedēre, Greek hézesthai (base hed- ); set, sedate, cathedra, nest

Origin of sit²

From Latin

Word History and Origins

Origin of sit¹

Old English sittan; related to Old Norse sitja, Gothic sitan, Old High German sizzen, Latin sedēre to sit, Sanskrit sīdati he sits

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. sit on one's hands,
   1. to fail to applaud.
   2. to fail to take appropriate action.
2. sit pretty, Informal. to be in a comfortable situation:

   He's been sitting pretty ever since he got that new job.

3. sit tight, to bide one's time; take no action:

   I'm going to sit tight till I hear from you.

More idioms and phrases containing sit

• at a sitting

Example Sentences

Five days later, he sat for an interview with law enforcement officials, who cleared him of any potential wrongdoing in the case after he passed a polygraph test.

From Los Angeles Times

“We did as we were told, and when we sat on the front steps Liza spontaneously burst into song with ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow.’

From Salon

"Parliament will have sat for just 12 weeks by the time MPs vote on what is, quite literally, a matter of life and death."

From BBC

Liverpool are flying under Arne Slot and sit top of the Premier League and the Champions League table, having dropped points in just two games this season.

From BBC

“I was definitely done with football and school,” Amare said sitting in a dark classroom this week.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assemble
• meet
• open