■ verb ( ~s , ~ting ; past and past participle sat sat )
1》 be or cause to be in a po~ion in which one's weight is supported by one's buttocks rather than one's feet and one's back is upright.
↘(of an animal) rest with the hind legs bent and the body close to the ground.
↘(of a table or room) have enough seats for.
↘( ~ for ) pose for (an artist or photographer).
↘ N. Amer. not use (a player) in a game.
2》 be or remain in a particular po~ion or state.
↘( ~ with ) be harmonious with.
3》 (of a parliament, committee, court of law, etc.) be engaged in its business.
↘serve as a member of a council, jury, or other official body.
4》 Brit. take (an examination).
5》 [usu. in combination ] look after children, pets, or a house while the parents or owners are out or away: they want me to house-~ for them.
6》 (of a bird) remain on its nest to incubate its egg.
■ noun a period of ~ting.
Phrases
~ tight informal
1》 remain firmly in one's place.
2》 refrain from taking action or changing one's mind.
Phrasal verbs
~ in attend a meeting without taking an active participle
~ in for temporarily carry out the duties of.
~ on informal
1》 fail to deal with.
2》 subdue or suppress.
~ something out not take part in an event or activity.
↘wait without taking action until an unwelcome ~uation or process is over.
~ up
1》 move from a lying or slouching to a ~ting po~ion.
2》 refrain from going to bed until later than usual.
Origin
OE ~tan , of Gmc origin.
Usage
It is good English to use the present participle ~ting rather than the past participle sat with the verb ‘to be’: we were ~ting there for hours rather than we were sat there for hours .