Sit
Sit (sit) , obs. 3d pers. sing. pres.
obs. third person singular present of Sit, for sitteth.
Sit (sat) , intransitive verb
[Old English sitten, Anglo-Saxon sittan; akin to Old Saxon sittian, OFries. sitta, Dutch zitten, German sitzen, Old High German sizzen, Icelandic sitja, SW. sitta, Danish sidde, Gothic sitan, Russ. sidiete, Latin sedere, Greek 'e`zesqai, Sanskrit sad. r154. Compare Assess,Assize, Cathedral, Chair, Dissident, Excise, Insidious, Possess, Reside, Sanhedrim, Séance, Seat, n., Sedate, 4th Sell, Siege, Session, Set, transitive verb, 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. [archaic; obsolete]
And he came and took the book put of the right hand of him that sate upon the seat.
I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at dinner.
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 brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
Like a demigod here sit I in the sky.
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.
5.
To be adjusted; to fit; as, a coat sits well or ill.
This new and gorgeous garment, majesty,
Sits not so easy on me as you think.
6.
To suit one well or ill, as an act; to become; to befit; -- used impersonally. [Obsolete] — 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.
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.
Sits the wind in that quarter?
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.
Collocations (7)
To sit at , to rest under; to be subject to. [Obsolete] A farmer can not husband his ground so well if he sit at a great rent
To sit at meat or To sit 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.
To sit for a fellowship , to offer one's self for examination with a view to obtaining a fellowship. [English Univ.]
To sit out , (a) To be without engagement or employment [Obsolete] — Bp. Sanderson (b) To outstay. (c) to refrain from participating in [an activity such as a dance or hand at cards]; used especially after one has recently participated in an earlier such activity. The one sitting out does not necessarily have to sit during the activity foregone.
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.
Sit , transitive verb
1.
To sit upon; to keep one's seat upon; as, he sits a horse well.
Hardly the muse can sit the headstrong horse.
2.
To cause to be seated or in a sitting posture; to furnish a seat to; -- used reflexively.
They sat them down to weep.
Sit you down, father; rest you.
3.
To suit (well or ill); to become. [Obsolete or Rare]