Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

sitting

[ sit-ing ]

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

  1. (of a bird) occupying a nest of eggs for hatching.
  2. of, for, or suited to sitting:

    a sitting area in the lobby.

  3. holding an official position or office; occupying an appointed or elected seat; incumbent:

    a sitting pontiff.

  4. in session or at work; active:

    a sitting legislature.

sitting

/ ˈɪɪŋ /

noun

  1. a continuous period of being seated

    I read his novel at one sitting

  2. such a period in a restaurant, canteen, etc, where space and other facilities are limited

    dinner will be served in two sittings

  3. the act or period of posing for one's portrait to be painted, carved, etc
  4. a meeting, esp of an official body, to conduct business
  5. the incubation period of a bird's eggs during which the mother sits on them to keep them warm
“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

adjective

  1. in office

    a sitting Member of Parliament

  2. (of a hen) brooding eggs
  3. seated

    in a sitting position

“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
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of sitting1

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; sit 1, -ing 1, -ing 2
Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. sitting pretty, in an auspicious position:

    He's been sitting pretty since he got that new job.

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The Ayrton Light is switched on to signify that either the House of Lords or the House of Commons are sitting.

From

She was more than happy to plot out a Sunday plan that doesn’t involve “a layover sitting in a coffee shop in the Phoenix airport.”

From

He’s just sitting there looking around, you can tell his mind was blown by it.

From

The constituency combines the industrial town of Runcorn, sitting on the banks of the River Mersey, with a more rural area stretching south towards Chester.

From

I’m sitting there listening — that’s the reason the intro’s so long, because I was just waiting — and finally I start singing, “You’re rock candy, baby — hard, sweet and sticky.”

From

Advertisement

Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


sit tightSitting Bull