sitting

American  

[sit-ing] / ˈsɪt ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that sits.

2. a period of remaining seated, as in posing for a portrait or reading a book.

3. the space on or in which one sits, as in a church.

4. a brooding, as of a hen upon eggs; incubation.

5. the number of eggs on which a bird sits during a single hatching; clutch.

6. a session, as of a court or legislature.

7. the time or space allotted to the serving of a meal to a group, as aboard a ship.

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adjective

1. (of a bird) occupying a nest of eggs for hatching.

2. of, for, or suited to sitting.

   a sitting area in the lobby.

3. holding an official position or office; occupying an appointed or elected seat; incumbent.

   a sitting pontiff.

4. in session or at work; active.

   a sitting legislature.

idioms

1. sitting pretty, in an auspicious position.

   He's been sitting pretty since he got that new job.

sitting British  

/ ˈsɪtɪŋ /

noun

1. a continuous period of being seated

   I read his novel at one sitting

2. such a period in a restaurant, canteen, etc, where space and other facilities are limited

   dinner will be served in two sittings

3. the act or period of posing for one's portrait to be painted, carved, etc

4. a meeting, esp of an official body, to conduct business

5. the incubation period of a bird's eggs during which the mother sits on them to keep them warm

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adjective

1. in office

   a sitting Member of Parliament

2. (of a hen) brooding eggs

3. seated

   in a sitting position

Etymology

Origin of sitting

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; sit ¹, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

This nor’easter is sitting over the open water of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Long Island and Cape Cod, and the winds are blowing from the northeast toward the southwest.

From The Wall Street Journal

Expansive living spaces fill the main floor of the residence, including a stunning sitting room with a retractable glass wall that opens the area to another outdoor seating space.

From MarketWatch

Then, he satirizes conservatives’ discomfort with his Blackness by sitting silently as Martin Short, playing a nervous young Republican delivering a hackneyed diatribe, shudders in his presence before scampering offstage to fall apart.

From Salon

"I didn't want to be sitting watching YouTube for three hours a day but I was forced to."

From BBC

According to ME Research UK, PoTS is a debilitating, under-recognised condition that causes quick heart rate increases after getting up from sitting or lying down.

From BBC

Related Words

• situated