Lewis & Short

ob-sĭdĕo, ēdi, essum, 2, v. n. and a. [sedeo].

  1. I. Neutr., to sit, stay, remain, abide anywhere (only poet.): servi ne obsideant, liberis ut sit locus, Plaut. Poen. prol. 23: domi obsidere, Ter. Ad. 4, 6, 6: in limine, Val. Fl. 2, 237.
  2. II. Act., to sit at, on, or in, to remain on or in, to haunt, inhabit, frequent a place.
    1. A. In gen.: aram, Plaut. Rud. 3, 3, 36: ranae stagna et rivos obsident, frequent marshes, Plin. 11, 18, 19, § 62: obsedit limina bubo, Sil. 8, 636: Apollo umbilicum terrarum obsidet, Cic. Div. 2, 56.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Milit. t. t., to sit down before, to hem in, beset, besiege, invest, blockade a place (cf. oppugno): cum omnes aditus armati obsiderent, Cic. Phil. 2, 35, 89: Curio Uticam obsidere instituit, Caes. B. C. 2, 36: consiliis ab oppugnandā urbe ad obsidendam versis, Liv. 2, 11: propius inopiam erant obsidentes quam obsessi, id. 25, 11: ut Carthaginem crederent extemplo Scipionem obsessurum, id. 30, 7: totam Italiam, Cic. Agr. 2, 28, 75: vias, Caes. B. G. 3, 23: vallis obsessa, Verg. A. 10, 120: egregias Lateranorum aedīs, Juv. 10, 17.
      2. 2. To occupy, fill, possess: corporibus omnis obsidetur locus, is filled, Cic. N. D. 1, 23, 65: senatum armis, id. Phil. 7, 5, 15: palus obsessa salictis, full of osier-thickets, Ov. M. 11, 363: Trachasque obsessa palude, i. e. surrounded, id. ib. 15, 717.
        1. b. Trop., to occupy, possess, take possession of: alicujus animum, Just. 42, 4, 21: qui meum tempus obsideret, who took up my time, Cic. Verr. 1, 2, 6; id. Or. 62, 210: cum obsideri aures a fratre cerneret, that they were continually besieged by his brother, Liv. 40, 20 fin.
      3. 3. To have one’s eye upon, to watch closely, be on the look-out for: jacere humi … ad obsidendum stuprum, Cic. Cat. 1, 10, 26: rostra, id. Fl. 24, 57.