Verb

(of a person) To be in a position in which the upper body is upright and the legs (especially the upper legs) are supported by some object.

After a long day of walking, it was good just to sit and relax.

(of a person) To move oneself into such a position.

I asked him to sit .

(of an object) To occupy a given position permanently.

The temple has sat atop that hill for centuries.

To remain in a state of repose; to rest; to abide; to rest in any position or condition.

* Bible, Numbers xxxii. 6

And Moses said to the children of Reuben, Shall your brothren go to war, and shall ye sit here?

* Shakespeare

Like a demigod here sit I in the sky.

(government) To be a member of a deliberative body.

I currently sit on a standards committee.

(legal, government) Of a legislative or, especially, a judicial body such as a court, to be in session.

In what city is the circuit court sitting for this session.

To lie, rest, or bear; to press or weigh.

* Jeremy Taylor

The calamity sits heavy on us.

To be adjusted; to fit.

Your new coat sits well.

* Shakespeare

This new and gorgeous garment, majesty, / Sits not so easy on me as you think.

(of an agreement or arrangement) To be accepted or acceptable; to work.

How will this new contract sit with the workers?

I don’t think it will sit well.

The violence in these video games sits awkwardly with their stated aim of educating children.

To cause to be seated or in a sitting posture; to furnish a seat to.

Sit him in front of the TV and he might watch for hours.

* 1874 , , (w), XX

To accommodate in seats; to seat.

The dining room table sits eight comfortably.

I sat me weary on a pillar's base, / And leaned against the shaft

shortened form of babysit.

I'm going to sit for them on Thursday.

(US) To babysit

I need to find someone to sit my kids on Friday evening for four hours.

(transitive, Australia, New Zealand, UK) To take, to undergo or complete (an examination or test).

To cover and warm eggs for hatching, as a fowl; to brood; to incubate.

* Bible, Jer. xvii. 11

The partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not.

To take a position for the purpose of having some artistic representation of oneself made, such as a picture or a bust.

I'm sitting for a painter this evening.

To have position, as at the point blown from; to hold a relative position; to have direction.

* Selden

like a good miller that knows how to grind, which way soever the wind sits

* Sir Walter Scott

Sits the wind in that quarter?

Verb

(lb) To or be positioned physically.

#(lb) To support oneself on the feet in an erect position.

#:

#*

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps,

#(lb) To rise to one’s feet; to stand up.

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# To remain motionless.

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#*Bible, (w) ii, 9

#*:The star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

#*, chapter=23

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=The slightest effort made the patient cough. He would stand leaning on a stick and holding a hand to his side, and when the paroxysm had passed it left him shaking.}}

#*

#*:Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.

#(lb) To be placed in an upright or vertical orientation.

#*

#*:They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect.

#*

#*:He seized the gun which always stood in a corner of his bedroom.

#(lb) To place in an upright or standing position.

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#(lb) To occupy or hold a place; to be situated or located.

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#(lb) To measure when erect on the feet.

#* (1809-1892)

#*:Six feet two, as I think, he stands .

(lb) To or be positioned mentally.

# To be positioned to gain or lose.

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# To tolerate.

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#*, chapter=7

, title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=“[…] if you call my duds a ‘livery’ again there'll be trouble. It's bad enough to go around togged out like a life saver on a drill day, but I can stand' that 'cause I'm paid for it. What I won't ' stand is to have them togs called a livery.

#(lb) To maintain one's ground; to be acquitted; not to fail or yield; to be safe.

#*Spectator

#*:readers by whose judgment I would stand or fall

#(lb) To maintain an invincible or permanent attitude; to be fixed, steady, or firm; to take a position in resistance or opposition.

#*Bible, (w) viii. 11

#*:The king granted the Jewsto gather themselves together, and to stand for their life.

#*(Robert South) (1634–1716)

#*:the standing pattern of their imitation

# To be in some particular state; to have essence or being; to be; to consist.

#*Bible, (w) ix. 10

#*:sacrificeswhich stood only in meats and drinks

#*(John Dryden) (1631-1700)

#*:Accomplish what your signs foreshow; / I stand resigned, and am prepared to go.

#*Sir (Walter Scott) (1771-1832)

#*:Thou seest how it stands with me, and that I may not tarry.

(lb) To or be positioned socially.

# To act as an umpire.

#(lb) To undergo; withstand; hold up.

#:

#*(John Dryden) (1631-1700)

#*:Love stood the siege.

#*(Joseph Addison) (1672-1719)

#*:Bid him disband his legions,/ And stand the judgment of a Roman senate.

#*(Alexander Pope) (1688-1744)

#*:He stood the furious foe.

# To seek election.

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#*(Izaak Walton) (c.1594-1683)

#*:He stood to be elected one of the proctors of the university.

#(lb) To be valid.

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#(lb) To oppose, usually as a team, in competition.

#*1957 , (Matt Christopher), Basketball Sparkplug , Ch.7:

#*:"Kim, Jack, and I will stand you guys," Jimmie Burdette said. ¶ "We'll smear you!" laughed Ron.

#* R. J. Childerhose, Hockey Fever in Goganne Falls , p.95:

#*:The game stopped while sides were sorted out. Andy did the sorting. "Okay," he said. "Jimmy is coming out. He and Gaston and Ike and me will stand you guys."

#*1978 , (Louis Sachar), Sideways Stories from Wayside School , Ch.21:

#*:"Hey, Louis," Dameon shouted. "Do you want to play kickball?" ¶ ""All right," said Louis. "Ron and I will both play."¶ "Ron and I will stand everybody!" Louis announced.

#To cover the expense of; to pay for.

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#:(Thackeray)

#(lb) To have or maintain a position, order, or rank; to be in a particular relation.

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#(lb) To be consistent; to agree; to accord.

#*(Philip Massinger) (1583-1640)

#*:Doubt me not; by heaven, I will do nothing / But what may stand with honour.

#(lb) To appear in court.

#:(Burrill)

Of a ship or its captain, to steer, sail (in a specified direction, for a specified destination etc.).

*1630 , John Smith, True Travels , in Kupperman 1988, p.40:

*:To repaire his defects, hee stood for the coast of Calabria, but hearing there was six or seven Galleyes at Mesina hee departed thence for Malta.

(lb) To remain without ruin or injury.

*(John Dryden) (1631-1700)

*:My mind on its own centre stands unmoved.

*(Lord Byron) (1788-1824)

*:The ruin'd wall / Stands when its wind-worn battlements are gone.

(lb) To stop asking for more cards.