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

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

He lamented that he wouldn’t have time to visit Walt Disney World and Universal’s new Epic Universe.

From Los Angeles Times

Ojeh and Jones met during the late 1990s on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., when she was walking to class and he was a high school senior visiting campus.

From Los Angeles Times

He had previously visited Flushing Meadows on several occasions before being joined by wife Melania on his last visit a decade ago.

From BBC

But then she had to go home — back to Gainesville, Fla. So I went to visit her for a month.

From Los Angeles Times

Hudler sprinted off the field, ignoring teammates wanting to high-five him in the dugout for saving two runs, and into the visiting clubhouse, where he stashed the ball in his locker for safekeeping.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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