sitter

noun

sit·​ter ˈsi-tər 

1

: one that sits: such as

a

: a person who sits for a portrait or a bust

Usually commissioned by the sitters themselves, some images straddle the line between individual portrait and genre scene …

—Naomi Rosenblum

b

: a person who takes care of someone or something in the place of a parent, owner, etc.

pet sitters

The next time you hire a sitter [=babysitter], remind your daughter what happened the last time and let her know that you are only a phone call away.

—John Rosemond

see also house sitter

2

a

: an easy target

a sitter for enemy submarines

b

sports : an easy scoring or fielding chance

… missed an absolute sitter in the 44th minute to keep the game scoreless.

—Jamie Goldberg

Synonyms

• babysitter
• dry nurse
• nanny
• nannie
• nurse
• nursemaid
• nurser

Examples of sitter in a Sentence

They hired a sitter so they could go out.

we'll be going to the movie if we can get a sitter for the kids

Recent Examples on the Web

There are many ways to find a reliable pet sitter to care for your furry friend. —Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025

But earlier in the night Van Dijk had to make a goal-saving block after sloppy play from Alisson and then Pedro Porro missed a sitter. —James Pearce, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025

After anxiously leaving their dog with a pet sitter for a few days, a family began to relax and thought that no news was good news. —Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024

That particular kerfuffle went all the way to the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case; Musk was stuck with his Twitter sitter. —Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sitter

• bed-sitter
• house sitter

Kids Definition

sitter

noun

sit·​ter ˈsit-ər 

: one that sits

especially : a person who babysits

Biographical Definition

Sitter

biographical name

Sit·​ter ˈsi-tər 

Willem de 1872–1934 Dutch astronomer