I. vis ‧ it 1 S2 W1 /ˈvɪzət, ˈvɪzɪt/ BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ visit , ↑ visitor , ↑ visitation ; verb : ↑ visit , ↑ revisit ]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: visiter , from Latin visitare , from visere 'to go to see' , from videre ; ⇨ ↑ vision ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to go and spend time in a place or with someone, especially for pleasure or interest:
Eric went to Seattle to visit his cousins.
I was really pleased that they came to visit me.
Which cities did you visit in Spain?
A recent trip to London gave me the opportunity to visit the Science Museum.
She doesn’t visit very often.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people often say that they come/go to see someone, rather than visit them:
▪
He’s gone to Scotland to see his family.
2 . [transitive] to go to a place as part of your official job, especially to examine it:
The building inspector is visiting the new housing project.
visit with American English :
The President’s first trip abroad will be to visit with troops in Bosnia.
3 . [transitive] formal to go to see a doctor, lawyer etc in order to get treatment or advice
4 . [transitive] to look at a website on the Internet:
Over 1,000 people visit our site every week.
5 . [intransitive] American English to talk socially with someone
visit with
Why don’t you kids play outside while we visit with each other?
• • •
THESAURUS
■ a place
▪ visit to go and spend time in a place, for interest or pleasure:
You must visit Kyoto.
|
They visited all the usual places.
▪ go to to visit a place. Go to is very commonly used in everyday English instead of visit :
Have you ever been to England?
|
They went to the Eiffel Tower and the Flea Market.
▪ go sightseeing to visit places of interest in a country:
We went sightseeing in the old part of the city.
■ a person
▪ visit to go and spend time with someone:
How often do you visit your grandparents?
▪ come around/by/over ( also come round British English ) to visit someone informally in their home, especially when you live near them:
A few friends came round last night.
▪ drop in/by ( also call in/by British English ) to visit someone in their home, especially on your way to another place:
Kate said she’d drop by later to give you the forms.
▪ look somebody up to visit someone who you do not see very often, when you are spending time in the area where they live:
Look me up if you’re ever in Newark.
visit something on somebody/something phrasal verb biblical
to do something to punish someone or show them that you are angry:
God’s wrath will be visited on sinners.
II. visit 2 S3 W2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ visit , ↑ visitor , ↑ visitation ; verb : ↑ visit , ↑ revisit ]
1 . an occasion when someone goes to spend time in a place or goes to see a person
visit to
a visit to Chicago
We’re just here on a short visit.
Why don’t you come for a visit this summer?
I decided to pay him a visit at his office.
I’ve just had a visit from the police.
I’m only here for the weekend – just a flying visit this time.
his first official visit to Britain as Russian President
The town is well worth a visit.
2 . an occasion when you see a doctor, lawyer etc for treatment or advice
3 . American English an occasion when you talk socially with someone:
Barbara and I had a nice long visit.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ pay somebody a visit (=visit someone)
Perhaps she'll come up to town then and pay me a visit.
▪ make/pay a visit
The king made an official visit to Poland last year.
▪ have/receive a visit from somebody
I've just had a visit from Lou Stacey.
■ adjectives
▪ a brief/short visit
Miss Russell was only able to pay a brief visit.
▪ a flying visit British English (=a very short visit)
Timpson was due to pay a flying visit to London.
▪ a surprise visit (=one that the person being visited does not know is going to happen)
Naomi paid a surprise visit to an old school friend.
▪ an unannounced visit (=one that someone makes without first telling the person that they are going to visit)
The social worker made an unannounced visit.
▪ an official/state visit
The president made an official visit to France this week.
▪ a return visit (=when you visit a place again, or when someone you visited visits you)
George was already planning a return visit.
■ phrases
▪ be worth a visit
Las Palmas, the lively capital, is well worth a visit.