sit Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb be seated
    sit down.
  2. verb be around, often idly or without specific purpose
    sit around.
    • The object sat in the corner
    • We sat around chatting for another hour
  3. verb take a seat
    sit down.
  4. verb be in session
    • When does the court of law sit?
  5. verb assume a posture as for artistic purposes
    posture; model; pose.
    • We don't know the woman who posed for Leonardo so often
  6. verb sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
    ride.
    • She never sat a horse!
    • Did you ever ride a camel?
    • The girl liked to drive the young mare
  7. verb be located or situated somewhere
    • The White House sits on Pennsylvania Avenue
  8. verb work or act as a baby-sitter; I have too much homework to do"
    baby-sit.
    • I cannot baby-sit tonight
  9. verb show to a seat; assign a seat for
    sit down; seat.
    • The host seated me next to Mrs. Smith
  10. verb serve in a specific professional capacity
    • the priest sat for confession
    • she sat on the jury

WordNet

Sit
Definitions
  1. obs. 3d pers. sing. pres. of Sit, for sitteth.
Sit intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. sitten, AS. sittan; akin to OS. sittian, OFries. sitta, D. zitten, G. sitzen, OHG. sizzen, Icel. sitja, SW. sitta, Dan. sidde, Goth. sitan, Russ. sidiete, L. sedere, Gr. , Skr. sad. Cf. Assess,Assize, Cathedral, Chair, Dissident, Excise, Insidious, Possess, Reside, Sanhedrim, Seance, Seat, n., Sedate, 4th Sell, Siege, Session, Set, v. t., Sizar, Size, Subsidy.
Wordforms
imperfect Sat (Sate archaic); past participle Sat (Sitten obsolete ); present participle & verbal noun Sitting
Definitions
  1. To rest upon the haunches, or the lower extremity of the trunk of the body; -- said of human beings, and sometimes of other animals; as, to sit on a sofa, on a chair, or on the ground.
    And he came and took the book put of the right hand of him that sate upon the seat. Bible (1551) (Rev. v. 7.)
    I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at dinner. Shak.
  2. To perch; to rest with the feet drawn up, as birds do on a branch, pole, etc.
  3. To remain in a state of repose; to rest; to abide; to rest in any position or condition.
    And Moses said to . . . the children of Reuben, Shall your brothren go to war, and shall ye sit here? Num. xxxii. 6.
    Like a demigod here sit I in the sky. Shak.
  4. To lie, rest, or bear; to press or weigh; -- with on; as, a weight or burden sits lightly upon him.
    The calamity sits heavy on us. Jer. Taylor.
  5. To be adjusted; to fit; as, a coat sts well or ill.
    This new and gorgeous garment, majesty, Sits not so easy on me as you think. Shak.
  6. To suit one well or ill, as an act; to become; to befit; -- used impersonally. Obs. Chaucer.
  7. To cover and warm eggs for hatching, as a fowl; to brood; to incubate.
    As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not. Jer. xvii. 11.
  8. To have position, as at the point blown from; to hold a relative position; to have direction.
    Like a good miller that knows how to grind, which way soever the wind sits. Selden.
    Sits the wind in that quarter? Sir W. Scott.
  9. To occupy a place or seat as a member of an official body; as, to sit in Congress.
  10. To hold a session; to be in session for official business; -- said of legislative assemblies, courts, etc.; as, the court sits in January; the aldermen sit to-night.
  11. To take a position for the purpose of having some artistic representation of one's self made, as a picture or a bust; as, to sit to a painter. sit for seems more common now
Sit transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To sit upon; to keep one's seat upon; as, he sits a horse well.
    Hardly the muse can sit the headstrong horse. Prior.
  2. To cause to be seated or in a sitting posture; to furnish a seat to; -- used reflexively.
    They sat them down to weep. Milton.
    Sit you down, father; rest you. Shak.
  3. To suit (well ∨ ill); to become. Obs. or R.

Webster 1913