visit

[viz-it]

verb (used with object)

1. to go to and stay with (a person or family) or at (a place) for a short time for reasons of sociability, politeness, business, curiosity, etc..

   to visit a friend; to visit clients; to visit Paris.

2. to stay with as a guest.

3. to come or go to.

   to visit a church for prayer.

4. to go to for the purpose of official inspection or examination.

   a general visiting his troops.

5. to come to in order to comfort or aid.

   to visit the sick.

6. to come upon; assail; afflict.

   The plague visited London in 1665.

7. to cause trouble, suffering, etc., to come to.

   to visit him with sorrows.

8. to access, as a website.

9. to inflict, as punishment, vengeance, etc. (often followed by on orupon ).

verb (used without object)

1. to make a visit.

2. to talk or chat casually.

   to visit on the phone with a friend.

3. to inflict punishment.

noun

1. the act of or an instance of visiting.

   a nice, long visit.

2. a chat or talk.

   We had a good visit on the way back from the grocery store.

3. a call paid to a person, family, etc.

4. a stay or sojourn as a guest.

5. an official inspection or examination.

6. the act of an officer of a belligerent nation in boarding a vessel in order to ascertain the nature of its cargo, its nationality, etc..

   the right of visit and search.

visit

/ ˈvɪzɪt /

verb

1. to go or come to see (a person, place, etc)

2. to stay with (someone) as a guest

3. to go or come to (an institution, place, etc) for the purpose of inspecting or examining

4. (tr) (of a disease, disaster, etc) to assail; afflict

5. (tr; foll by upon or on) to inflict (punishment, etc)

   the judge visited his full anger upon the defendant

6. archaic,  to afflict or plague (with punishment, etc)

7. informal,  (often foll by with) to chat or converse (with someone)

noun

1. the act or an instance of visiting

2. a stay as a guest

3. a professional or official call

4. a formal call for the purpose of inspection or examination

5. international law the right of an officer of a belligerent state to stop and search neutral ships in war to verify their nationality and ascertain whether they carry contraband

   the right of visit and search

6. informal,  a friendly talk or chat

Other Word Forms

• intervisit verb (used without object)
• nonvisiting adjective
• previsit noun
• revisit verb
• unvisited adjective
• unvisiting adjective
• visitable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of visit¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English visiten (verb), from Old French visiter, from Latin vīsitāre “to see repeatedly,” from vīsere “to go to see,” from vidēre “to see”; noun derivative of the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of visit¹

C13: from Latin vīsitāre to go to see, from vīsere to examine, from vidēre to see

Idioms and Phrases

see pay a call (visit).

Example Sentences

"Over the last six to eight years every property in the county borough has had an enforcement visit, so that's over 32,000 homes," said Andrew Long, who manages the council's frontline enforcement services.

Read more on BBC

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, who visited the border between the two Koreas earlier this week, said on Tuesday that Seoul has "an incredible shipbuilding industry which we look forward to partnering with a lot more."

Read more on Barron's

Chris, who was visiting a relative when the stacker system broke down, is another who has been left out of pocket.

Read more on BBC

In September, a private investigator allegedly hired by the Zambian government visited the morgue and demanded to see the deceased, according to family spokesman Makebi Zulu.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In the nine months through September, almost 32 million people visited Japan, an 18% increase on the same nine-month period last year, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• call 
• call on 
• frequent 
• hit 
• inspect 
• play 
• see 
• stay at www.thesaurus.com
• talk 
• tour