(~s, ~ting, sat)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
If you are ~ting somewhere, for example in a chair, your bottom is resting on the chair and the upper part of your body is upright.
Mother was ~ting in her chair in the kitchen...
They sat there in shock and disbelief...
They had been ~ting watching television...
He was unable to ~ still for longer than a few minutes.
VERB: V prep/adv, V prep/adv, V, V adj, also V
2.
When you ~ somewhere, you lower your body until you are ~ting on something.
He set the cases against a wall and sat on them...
When you stand, they stand; when you ~, they ~.
VERB: V prep/adv, V
•
Sit down means the same as ~ .
I sat down, stunned...
Hughes beckoned him to ~ down on the sofa.
PHRASAL VERB: V P, V P prep/adv
3.
If you ~ someone somewhere, you tell them to ~ there or put them in a ~ting po~ion.
He used to ~ me on his lap...
VERB: V n prep/adv
•
To ~ someone down somewhere means to ~ them there.
She helped him out of the water and sat him down on the rock...
They sat me down and had a serious discussion about sex.
PHRASAL VERB: V n P prep/adv, V n P
4.
If you ~ an examination, you do it. (BRIT; in AM, use take )
June and July are the traditional months for ~ting exams.
= take
VERB: V n
5.
If you ~ on a committee or other official group, you are a member of it.
He was asked to ~ on numerous committees...
VERB: no cont, V on/in n
6.
When a parliament, legislature, court, or other official body ~s, it officially carries out its work. (FORMAL)
Parliament ~s for only 28 weeks out of 52...
VERB: V
7.
If a building or object ~s in a particular place, it is in that place. (WRITTEN)
Our new house sat next to a stream...
On the table sat a box decorated with little pearl triangles.
= stand
VERB: V prep/adv, V prep/adv
8.
see also ~ting
9.
If you ~ tight, you remain in the same place or ~uation and do not take any action, usually because you are waiting for something to happen.
Sit tight. I’ll be right back...
to ~ on the fence: see fence
PHRASE: V inflects