baby-sit
or ba·by·sit
[ bey-bee-sit ]
/ ˈbeɪ biˌsɪt /
verb (used without object), ba·by-sat, ba·by-sit·ting.
to take charge of a child while the parents are temporarily away.
verb (used with object), ba·by-sat, ba·by-sit·ting.
to baby-sit for (a child): We've placed an ad for someone to baby-sit the youngsters in the evening.
to take watchful responsibility for; tend: It will be necessary for someone to baby-sit the machine until it is running properly.
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RELATED WORDS
notice, perceive, feed, nourish, vaccinate, cradle, inspect, command, do, protect, manage, watch, maintain, cultivate, keep, preserve, patrol, secure, oversee, defend
Nearby words
- baby-boomer,
- baby-bouncer,
- baby-face,
- baby-minder,
- baby-mother,
- baby-sitter,
- baby-walker,
- babydoll ,
- babyhood,
- babyish
Origin of baby-sit
First recorded in 1945–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for babysit
baby-sit
verb -sits, -sitting or -sat
(intr) to act or work as a baby-sitter
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
babysit
also baby-sit, 1947, from baby (n.) + sit (v.); figurative use (often contemptuous) by 1968. Babysitting is from 1946.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper