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. √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 ones 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 ones 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.]

-- Webster's unabridged 1913