sit out

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sit out (third-person singular simple present sits out, present participle sitting out, simple past and past participle sat out)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To decline to participate; particularly, to decline to dance.

   I don't like this tune, and I'm rather tired, so I think I'll just sit out.

   I don't like this tune, and I'm rather tired, so I think I'll just sit it out.

2. (transitive) To await the cessation of, without taking part.
   • 2012 [1984], chapter 13, in Barry Munslow, Henry Finch, editors, Proletarianisation in the Third World (non-fiction), page 283:

     A large proportion of the millhands sat out the strike in their native villages, sometimes hundreds of miles from Bombay; the remainder survived precariously in the city with the help of casual labour and rations of grain […]

   • 2008 July 14, Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan, The Dark Knight, spoken by Grumpy (Danny Goldring), Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Comics, Legendary Pictures:

     He thinks he can sit it out and still take a slice?

   • 2012 June 19, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport‎:

     England manager Roy Hodgson instantly restored Rooney after a two-match suspension in place of Andy Carroll with orders to make a belated mark on the campaign after sitting out the draw against France and victory against Sweden.

3. (poker) To be away from the table in the midst of an ongoing game, thus automatically placing one's forced bets and otherwise folding every hand when it is one's time to act.
4. (nautical) To lean out to the windward side of a sailboat in order to counterbalance the effects of the wind on the sails.
5. (wrestling) To escape a hold while face down by swinging one's legs around into the sitting position.

• (decline to participate): opt out
• (lean to the windward side): hike, lean out

sit out (plural sit outs)

1. Alternative form of sitout
   • 1966, NAACP Annual Report, page 42:

     During seven NAACP-sponsored school “sit outs” or “holidays” in Jacksonville more than 108,000 children had been kept home by their parents to protest segregated schools and other inequities.

   • 1987, Dale Mood, Frank F. Musker, Judith Rink, Sports and Recreational Activities for Men and Women, page 458:

     The bottom wrestler shoots both feet out as in the sit out.

   • 1993, Neil J. Dougherty, Physical Activity and Sport for the Secondary School Student, page 388:

     The sit out is used as a good set up for a roll and occasionally provides a good opportunity to score a reversal with a switch.

   • 2012, Biju Mathew, Kerala Tradition & Fascinating Destinations, page 424:

     All rooms are built with balcony or private sit outs for relaxing a breakfast or a romantic candlelight dinner.

   • 2013, Nikhil Baliga, Swami G's Short Stories, page 19:

     They decided to take refuge under the sit out in the garden.

   • 2014, Vandana Asthana, A. C. Shukla, Water Security in India, page 69:

     This weakening tends to impact state stability in the form of popular environmental movements, threatening “Jal Samadhi” Dharnas (sit outs) and hunger strikes.

2. Alternative form of sit-out
   • 2010, Jay Morgan, Fingerpainting in Psych Class, page 186:

     The parent says, “If you don't start picking up your dirty clothes by the time I count to three, you will need to take a sit out.”

   • 2020, Brian R. Gray, A Newcomer's Guide:

     A SIT OUT is required when there is a half table in the section, such as 8.5, 10.5, or 12.5 tables. There are more N/S Pairs than E/W Pairs or vice versa registered for the game.

• outsit