visit

visit [viz′it]

vt.

[ME visiten < OFr visiter < L visitare, freq. < visere, to go to see < visus: see VISION]

1. to go or come to see (someone) out of friendship or for social reasons

2. to stay with as a guest for a time

3. to go or come to see in a professional or business capacity [to visit a doctor (or a patient)]

4. to go or come to (a place) in order to inspect or investigate

5. to go or come to for a time so as to make use of, look at, etc. [to visit an art gallery]

6. to occur or come to [visited by an odd idea]

7. to bring suffering, trouble, etc. to; assail [a drought visited the land]

8.

a) to inflict (punishment, suffering, etc.) upon someone

b) to afflict (with punishment, suffering, etc.)

c) to inflict punishment for (wrongdoing); avenge [visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children]

vi.

to visit someone or something; specif.,

a) to inflict punishment or revenge

☆ b) to make a social call or calls: often used with with

c) to stay with someone as a guest

☆ d) Informal to converse or chat, as during a visit

n.

the act or an instance of visiting; specif.,

a) a social call

b) a stay as a guest; sojourn

c) an official or professional call, as of a doctor

d) an official call as for inspection or investigation

☆ e) Informal a friendly conversation

f) Maritime Law the boarding of a ship of a neutral nation by an officer of a nation at war to search it for contraband, etc.