babysit

or ba·by-sit

[ bey-bee-sit ]
See synonyms for babysit on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object),ba·by·sat, ba·by·sit·ting.
  1. to take charge of a child while the parents are temporarily away.

verb (used with object),ba·by·sat, ba·by·sit·ting.
  1. to take watchful responsibility for (a child): We're looking for someone to babysit the kids in the evening.

  2. to take watchful responsibility for; tend: It will be necessary for someone to babysit the machine until it is running properly.

Origin of babysit

1
First recorded in 1945–50

Other words from babysit

  • ba·by·sit·ter, ba·by-sit·ter, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use babysit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for baby-sit

baby-sit

verb-sits, -sitting or -sat
  1. (intr) to act or work as a baby-sitter

Derived forms of baby-sit

  • baby-sitting, noun, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012