Visit
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈvɪzɪt/
- Rhymes: -ɪzɪt
Origin
From Latin vÄ«sitÅ, frequentative of vÄ«sÅ ("behold, survey"), from videÅ ("see").
Full definition of visit
Verb
- (transitive) Of God: to appear to (someone) to comfort, bless, or chastise or punish them. (Now generally merged into later senses, below.) from 13th c.
- Bible, Luke i. 68God hath visited and redeemed his people.
- 1611, Bible, Authorized (King James) Version, Ruth I.6:Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.
- (transitive) To habitually go to (someone in distress, sickness etc.) to comfort them. (Now generally merged into later senses, below.) from 13th c.
- (transitive, intransitive) To go and meet (a person) as an act of friendliness or sociability. from 14th c.
- (transitive, now rare) To punish, to inflict harm upon (someone or something). from 14th c.
- 1788, Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, V.68:Her life was spared by the clemency of the emperor, but he visited the pomp and treasures of her palace.
- (transitive) Of a sickness, misfortune etc.: to afflict (someone). from 14th c.
- 1890, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough:There used to be a sharp contest as to where the effigy was to be made, for the people thought that the house from which it was carried forth would not be visited with death that year.
- (transitive) To inflict punishment, vengeance for (an offense) on or upon someone. from 14th c.
- 2011, John Mullan, The Guardian, 2 Dec 2011:If this were an Ibsen play, we would be thinking of the sins of one generation being visited upon another, he said.
- (transitive) To go to (a shrine, temple etc.) for worship. (Now generally merged into later senses, below.) from 14th c.
- (transitive) To go to (a place) for pleasure, on an errand, etc. from 15th c.
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 19, Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer doing billets.