Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Sit?

\Sit\, obs. 3d pers. sing. pres. of {Sit}, for sitteth.
\Sit\, v. i. [imp. {Sat}({Sate}, archaic); p. p. {Sat} ({Sitten}, obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. {Sitting}.] [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. [root]154. 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}.] 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. {To sit at}, to rest under; to be subject to. [Obs.] ``A farmer can not husband his ground so well if he sit at a great rent''. --Bacon. {To sit at meat} or {at table}, to be at table for eating. {To sit down}. (a) To place one's self on a chair or other seat; as, to sit down when tired. (b) To begin a siege; as, the enemy sat down before the town. (c) To settle; to fix a permanent abode. --Spenser. (d) To rest; to cease as satisfied. ``Here we can not sit down, but still proceed in our search.'' --Rogers. {To sit for a fellowship}, to offer one's self for examination with a view to obtaining a fellowship. [Eng. Univ.] {To sit out}. (a) To be without engagement or employment. [Obs.] --Bp. Sanderson. (b) To outstay. {To sit under}, to be under the instruction or ministrations of; as, to sit under a preacher; to sit under good preaching. {To sit up}, to rise from, or refrain from, a recumbent posture or from sleep; to sit with the body upright; as, to sit up late at night; also, to watch; as, to sit up with a sick person. ``He that was dead sat up, and began to speak.'' --Luke vii. 15.
\Sit\, v. t. 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 or ill); to become. [Obs. or R.]