sitting
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sit·ting
(sĭt′ĭng)n.
1. The act or position of one that sits.
2. A period during which one is seated and occupied with a single activity, such as posing for a portrait or reading a book.
3. A session or term, as of a legislature or court.
4.
a. An act, condition, or period of brooding on eggs by a bird; incubation.
b. The number of eggs under a brooding bird; a clutch.
adj.
1. Incubating a nest of eggs: a sitting hen.
2. Occupying an official position; incumbent.
3.
a. Of or for sitting: a sitting posture; a sitting area in a bus station.
b. Done or executed while sitting.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
sitting
(ˈsɪtɪŋ)n
1. a continuous period of being seated: I read his novel at one sitting.
2. (Cookery) such a period in a restaurant, canteen, etc, where space and other facilities are limited: dinner will be served in two sittings.
3. (Art Terms) the act or period of posing for one's portrait to be painted, carved, etc
4. (Parliamentary Procedure) a meeting, esp of an official body, to conduct business
5. (Zoology) the incubation period of a bird's eggs during which the mother sits on them to keep them warm
adj
6. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) in office: a sitting Member of Parliament.
7. (Zoology) (of a hen) brooding eggs
8. seated: in a sitting position.
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
sit•ting
(ˈsɪt ɪŋ)n.
1. the act of a person or thing that sits.
2. a period of being seated, as in posing for a portrait.
3. a brooding, as of a hen upon eggs; incubation.
4. a session, as of a court or legislature.
5. the time allotted to the serving of a meal to a group, as aboard a ship.
adj. 6. for, suited to, or accomplished while sitting: a sitting catch.
7. (of a target) readily seen, approached, or hit.
8. occupying an official position or office; incumbent.
9. in session; active: a sitting legislature.
10. (of a bird) occupying a nest of eggs for hatching.
[1175–1225]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sitting
the meeting together of a body of persons authorised to transact business; the number of eggs covered by a fowl in a single brood; a number of people taking a meal or sitting examination at a certain time.Examples: sitting of a commission; of a judicial court; of eggs, 1854; of parliament, 1700.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sitting
See Also: BEARING, IMMOBILITY
- Carefully lowered himself into the chair like someone entering a steaming hot bath —Andrew Kaplan
- Grandly sitting like a great rock —John Ashbery
- Hit his chair like a large rock —Rita Mae Brown
- Hunkered down on our haunches like Indians —Stephen King
- Just sits there … like a sick cat —Niven Busch
- Perched [on a stool] like a night owl —Jonathan Valin
- [Eight matrons] perched like pigeons around two identical card tables —Leigh Allison Wilson
- Sank back [into chair] … like a weighted diver into water —Richard Moran
The diver comparison is particularly apt within the context of Moran’s novel, Cold Sea Rising, with its many ocean scenes.
- Sank into a chair like a stone sinking into water —Lael Tucker Wertenbaker
- Sat as still as a bird sleeping on a limb —James Crumley
- Sat bolt upright, like a character in a work of cheap fiction —Peter De Vries
- Sat down heavily, like a farmer getting ready for Sunday dinner —Harvey Swados
- Sat like a bronze figure —William Brammer
The variations on sitting, standing or being “Still as a statue” are virtually limitless.
- Sat like a humped stone —Flannery O’Connor
- Sat like a lump of lead —Erich Maria Remarque
- Sat like granite —Walter Stone
- Sat like half-folded shirts, arms out of the way and knees close together —Mary Ward Brown
- Sat [silently] like someone who can’t remember the punch-line —William Mcllvanney
- Sat like some portent against the skies of the evening —E. M. Forster
- Sat like wood —Leslie Thomas
- Sat silent, motionless, like guests waiting to be welcomed —Helen Hudson
- Sat stiff as a cockroach, waiting to spring to life —Miles Gibson
- Sat stolidly, like an egg flattened on its bottom —David Ignatow
- Sat there like a mountain —Eudora Welty
- Sat up abruptly like a clockwork figure released by a spring —Joyce Cary
- Sat up and crossed his legs like a tailor. Like a tailor with no needle —Sterling Hayden
- Sat up as if she’d been shot from a cannon —Jonathan Valin
- Sat up —like a soldier at reveille —Jonathan Valin
- Sat up like Lazarus —Ray Bradbury
- She is dumped on the seat like a barrel of ashes —Malcolm Cowley
- Sitting [on the floor] like a sack —Ivan Turgenev
- Sit like a frog on a chopping block —John Ray’s Proverbs
- Sit like an umbrella —Bertold Brecht
- Sit like fixed candlesticks —William Shakespeare
- Stood there like a mannequin —T. Coraghessan Boyle
- Sit silent and still as if they were in a photograph, slightly out of focus —George Garrett
- Sits like a pile of dough —Lee Smith
- Sits quietly with her hands in her lap, like a pregnant woman being driven to the delivery rooom —Alice McDermott
- Sits up high like a job applicant —Richard Ford
- Sitting like somebody found at Pompeii —William Mcllvanney
- Sitting motionless … like a mother who affects not to notice the rude or awkward conduct of her children —Marcel Proust
- (She straightened up,) sitting stiff and small, like a small mast against a storm —Elizabeth Spencer
- Sitting there pop-eyed as a ventriloquist’s dummy —Antonia White
- You sit with your head like a carving in space —Wallace Stevens
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  sitting - (photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait); "he wanted his portrait painted but couldn't spare time for the sitting"movement, motility, motion, move - a change of position that does not entail a change of location; "the reflex motion of his eyebrows revealed his surprise"; "movement is a sign of life"; "an impatient move of his hand"; "gastrointestinal motility" photography, picture taking - the act of taking and printing photographs |
| 2. | sitting - the act of assuming or maintaining a seated position; "he read the mystery at one sitting" | |
| 3. |  sitting - a meeting of spiritualists; "the seance was held in the medium's parlor"spirit rapping, table rapping, table tapping - alleged form of communication with spirits of the dead table lifting, table tilting, table tipping, table turning - manipulation of a table during a seance; attributed to spirits get together, meeting - a small informal social gathering; "there was an informal meeting in my living room" | |
| 4. | sitting - a session as of a legislature or court session - a meeting for execution of a group's functions; "it was the opening session of the legislature" | |
| Adj. | 1. | sitting - (of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks; "the seated Madonna"; "the audience remained seated" |
| 2. | sitting - not moving and therefore easy to attack; "a sitting target" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
sitting
noun
2. meeting, hearing, session, congress, consultation, get-together (informal) the recent emergency sittings
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
جَلْسَه
sezení
omgang
lota, törn
posedeniesedenie
oturmaoturumoturuş
sitting
[ˈsɪtɪŋ]A. N
1. (= session) (Pol, Art etc) → sesión f; (in canteen) → turno m
second sitting for lunch → segundo turno de comedor
to eat it all at one sitting → comérselo todo de una sentada
to read a book in one sitting → leer un libro de un tirón
second sitting for lunch → segundo turno de comedor
to eat it all at one sitting → comérselo todo de una sentada
to read a book in one sitting → leer un libro de un tirón
2. (Zool) [of eggs] → nidada f
B. ADJ (also sitting down) → sentado
a sitting bird → una ave que está posada or inmóvil
a sitting hen → una gallina clueca
a sitting bird → una ave que está posada or inmóvil
a sitting hen → una gallina clueca
C. CPD sitting duck N (fig) → blanco m facilísimo
sitting member N → miembro mf actual or en funciones
sitting room N (= living room) → sala f, cuarto m de estar, salón m, living m (LAm); (= space) sitting and standing room → sitio m para sentarse y para estar de pie
sitting tenant N → inquilino/a m/f en posesión
sitting member N → miembro mf actual or en funciones
sitting room N (= living room) → sala f, cuarto m de estar, salón m, living m (LAm); (= space) sitting and standing room → sitio m para sentarse y para estar de pie
sitting tenant N → inquilino/a m/f en posesión
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
sitting
[ˈsɪtɪŋ]Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
sitting
adj → sitzend; bird → brütend; conference → tagend, in Sitzung; to be in a sitting position → aufsitzen; to get into a sitting position → sich aufsetzen; there is sitting room only → es gibt nur Sitzplätze
n (of committee, parliament, for portrait) → Sitzung f; they have two sittings for lunch → sie servieren das Mittagessen in zwei Schüben; the first sitting for lunch is at 12 o’clock → die erste Mittagessenzeit ist um 12 Uhr; at one or a single sitting (fig) → auf einmal
sitting
:sitting member
n (Brit Parl) → (derzeitiger) Abgeordneter, (derzeitige) Abgeordnete
sitting room
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
sitting
[ˈsɪtɪŋ]2. adj in a sitting position → seduto/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
sit
(sit) – present participle sitting: past tense, past participle sat (sӕt) – verb1. to (cause to) rest on the buttocks; to (cause to) be seated. He likes sitting on the floor; They sat me in the chair and started asking questions.
2. to lie or rest; to have a certain position. The parcel is sitting on the table.
3. (with on) to be an official member of (a board, committee etc). He sat on several committees.
4. (of birds) to perch. An owl was sitting in the tree by the window.
5. to undergo (an examination).
6. to take up a position, or act as a model, in order to have one's picture painted or one's photograph taken. She is sitting for a portrait/photograph.
7. (of a committee, parliament etc) to be in session. Parliament sits from now until Christmas.
ˈsitter noun1. a person who poses for a portrait etc.
2. a baby-sitter.
ˈsitting noun a period of continuous action, meeting etc. I read the whole book at one sitting; The committee were prepared for a lengthy sitting.
ˈsit-in noun an occupation of a building etc by protesters. The students staged a sit-in.
ˈsitting-room noun a room used mainly for sitting in.
sitting target, sitting duck someone or something that is in an obvious position to be attacked. If they're reducing staff, he's a sitting target.
sit back to rest and take no part in an activity. He just sat back and let it all happen.
sit down to (cause to) take a seat, take a sitting position. Let's sit down over here; He sat the child down on the floor.
sit out1. to remain seated during a dance. Let's sit (this one) out.
2. to remain inactive and wait until the end of. They'll try to sit out the crisis.
sit tight to keep the same position or be unwilling to move or act. The best thing to do is to sit tight and see if things improve.
sit up1. to rise to a sitting position. Can the patient sit up?
2. to remain awake, not going to bed. I sat up until 3 a.m. waiting for you!
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.