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Sitting

 - 9 dictionary results
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sit⋅ting

  [sit-ing]
Use Sitting in a Sentence
–noun
1. the act of a person or thing that sits.
2. a period of remaining seated, as in posing for a portrait or reading a book.
3. the space on or in which one sits, as in a church.
4. a brooding, as of a hen upon eggs; incubation.
5. the number of eggs on which a bird sits during a single hatching; clutch.
6. a session, as of a court or legislature.
7. the time or space allotted to the serving of a meal to a group, as aboard a ship.
–adjective
8. (of a bird) occupying a nest of eggs for hatching.
9. of, for, or suited to sitting: a sitting area in the lobby.
10. holding an official position or office; occupying an appointed or elected seat; incumbent: a sitting pontiff.
11. in session or at work; active: a sitting legislature.
—Idiom
12. sitting pretty, in an auspicious position: He's been sitting pretty since he got that new job.
Origin:
1175–1225; ME; see sit 1 , -ing 1 , -ing 2
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sit

1  [sit] verb, sat or (Archaic) sate; sat or (Archaic) sit⋅ten; sit⋅ting.
–verb (used without object)
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 fol. 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.
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.
–verb (used with object)
15. to cause to sit; seat (often fol. by down): Sit yourself down. He sat me near him.
16. to sit astride or keep one's seat on (a horse or other animal): She sits her horse gracefully.
17. to provide seating accommodations or seating room for; seat: Our dining-room table only sits six people.
18. Informal. to serve as baby-sitter for: A neighbor can sit the children while you go out.
—Verb phrases
19. sit down,
a. to take a seat.
b. to descend to a sitting position; alight.
c. to take up a position, as to encamp or besiege: The military forces sat down at the approaches to the city.
20. sit in,
a. 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.
b. to take part in a sit-in.
21. sit in on, to be a spectator, observer, or visitor at: to sit in on classes.
22. sit on or upon,
a. to inquire into or deliberate over: A coroner's jury was called to sit on the case.
b. Informal. to suppress; silence: They sat on the bad news as long as they could.
c. Informal. to check or rebuke; squelch: I'll sit on him if he tries to interrupt me.
23. sit out,
a. to stay to the end of: Though bored, we sat out the play.
b. to surpass in endurance: He sat out his tormentors.
c. to keep one's seat during (a dance, competition, etc.); fail to participate in: We sat out all the Latin-American numbers.
24. sit up,
a. to rise from a supine to a sitting position.
b. to delay the hour of retiring beyond the usual time.
c. to sit upright; hold oneself erect.
d. Informal. to become interested or astonished: We all sat up when the holiday was announced.
—Idioms
25. sit on one's hands,
a. to fail to applaud.
b. to fail to take appropriate action.
26. sit pretty, Informal. to be in a comfortable situation: He's been sitting pretty ever since he got that new job.
27. sit tight, to bide one's time; take no action: I'm going to sit tight till I hear from you.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME sitten, OE sittan; c. D zitten, G sitzen, ON sitja; akin to Goth sitan, L sedēre, Gk hézesthai (base hed-); cf. set, sedate, cathedral, nest

Synonyms:
10. meet, assemble, convene, gather.

Usage note:
Compare set.

sit

2  [sit]
–verb
(in prescriptions) may it be.
Origin:
< L
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Sitting
sit   (sĭt)   
v.   sat (sāt), sit·ting, sits

v.   intr.

  1. To rest with the torso vertical and the body supported on the buttocks.

    1. To rest with the hindquarters lowered onto a supporting surface. Used of animals.

    2. To perch. Used of birds.

    3. To occupy a seat as a member of a body of officials: sit in Congress.

    4. To be in session.

  3. To cover eggs for hatching; brood.

  4. To be situated or located: a house that sits on a hill.

  5. To lie or rest: Dishes were sitting on a shelf. See Usage Note at set1.

  6. To pose for an artist or photographer.

    1. To occupy a seat as a member of a body of officials: sit in Congress.

    2. To be in session.

  8. To remain inactive or unused: Her expensive skis sat gathering dust.

  9. To affect one with or as if with a burden; weigh: Official duties sat heavily upon the governor.

  10. To fit, fall, or drape in a specified manner: The jacket sits perfectly on you.

  11. To be agreeable to one; please: The idea didn't sit well with any of us.

  12. Chiefly British To take an examination, as for a degree.

  13. To blow from a particular direction. Used of the wind.

  14. To keep watch or take care of a child.

v.   tr.

  1. To cause to sit; seat: Sit yourself over there.

  2. To keep one's seat on (an animal): She sits her horse well.

  3. To sit on (eggs) for the purpose of hatching.

  4. To provide seating accommodation for: a theater that sits 1,000 people.

n.  

    1. The act of sitting.

    2. A period of time spent sitting.

  2. The way in which an article of clothing, such as a dress or jacket, fits.

  3. To be present or participate as a visitor at a discussion or music session.

  4. To act as a substitute: She sat in for the vacationing news anchor.

  5. To take part in a sit-in.

  6. To confer about.

  7. To suppress or repress: sat on the evidence.

  8. To postpone action or resolution regarding.

  9. Slang To rebuke sharply; reprimand.

  10. To stay until the end of.

  11. To refrain from taking part in: sit out a dance.

  12. To rise from lying down to a sitting position.

  13. To sit with the spine erect.

  14. To stay up later than the customary bedtime.

  15. To become suddenly alert: The students sat up when he mentioned the test.

Phrasal Verb(s):
sit downTo take a seat.
sit in

  1. To be present or participate as a visitor at a discussion or music session.

  2. To act as a substitute: She sat in for the vacationing news anchor.

  3. To take part in a sit-in.

sit on/upon Informal

  1. To confer about.

  2. To suppress or repress: sat on the evidence.

  3. To postpone action or resolution regarding.

  4. Slang To rebuke sharply; reprimand.

sit out

  1. To stay until the end of.

  2. To refrain from taking part in: sit out a dance.

sit up

  1. To rise from lying down to a sitting position.

  2. To sit with the spine erect.

  3. To stay up later than the customary bedtime.

  4. To become suddenly alert: The students sat up when he mentioned the test.


Idiom(s):
sit on (one's) handsTo fail to act.

Idiom(s):
sit pretty Informal To be in a very favorable position.

Idiom(s):
sit tight Informal To be patient and await the next move.

[Middle English sitten, from Old English sittan; see sed- in Indo-European roots.]
sit·ting   (sĭt'ĭng)   
n.  

  1. The act or position of one that sits.

  2. A period during which one is seated and occupied with a single activity, such as posing for a portrait or reading a book.

  3. A session, as of a legislature or court.

    1. An act, condition, or period of brooding on eggs by a bird; incubation.

    2. The number of eggs under a brooding bird; a clutch.

adj.  

  1. Incubating a nest of eggs: a sitting hen.

  2. Occupying an official position; incumbent.

    1. Of or for sitting: a sitting posture; a sitting area in a bus station.

    2. Done or executed while sitting.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Main Entry:  sitting
Part of Speech:  n
Definition:  See sitting meditation
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2009 Dictionary.com, LLC
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Word Origin & History

sit 
O.E. sittan "to be seated, to seat oneself" (class V strong verb; past tense sæt, pp. seten), from P.Gmc. *setjanan (cf. O.S. sittian, O.N. sitja, O.Fris. sitta, M.Du. sitten, Du. zitten, O.H.G. sizzan, Ger. sitzen, Goth. sitan), from PIE base *sed- "to sit" (see sedentary). In ref. to a legislative assembly, from 1518. Meaning "to baby-sit" is recorded from 1966. Sitting room first recorded 1771. Slang sitting duck "easy target" first recorded 1944; lit. sense is from 1867 (it is considered not sporting to shoot at one). Sitting pretty is from 1921. To sit on one's hands was originally "to withhold applause" (1926); later, "to do nothing" (1959). To sit around "be idle, do nothing" is 1915, Amer.Eng. To sit out "not take part" is from 1626.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: sit
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Forms: sat; sit·ting
1 : to occupy a place as a member of an official or formal body <sit in Congress> <sit on a board of directors>
2 : to hold a session : conduct official business sits in the state capital>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Bible Dictionary

Sitting

the attitude generally assumed in Palestine by those who were engaged in any kind of work. "The carpenter saws, planes, and hews with his hand-adze, sitting on the ground or upon the plank he is planning. The washerwoman sits by the tub; and, in a word, no one stands when it is possible to sit. Shopkeepers always sit, and Levi sitting at the receipt of custom (Matt. 9:9) is the exact way to state the case.", Thomson, Land and Book.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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