besit

English

Etymology

From Middle English besitten, from Old English besittan (“to sit round, surround, beset, besiege, hold, council, occupy, possess”), From Proto-Germanic *bisitjaną (“to sit near, sit among or around”), equivalent to be- +‎ sit. Cognate with Dutch bezitten, German besitzen, Norwegian Bokmål besitte, Danish besidde, Swedish besitta, Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐍃𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (bisitan).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪt

Verb

besit (third-person singular simple present besits, present participle besitting, simple past besat, past participle besat or (archaic) besitten)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To sit around; sit about; besiege.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To sit upon.
3. (transitive, obsolete) To sit properly upon, as clothes; to suit; become.

Related terms

• beset

Anagrams

• Betsi, Steib, biset, bites, ebits