Lewis & Short

sĕdeo, sēdi, sessum, 2, v. n. [Sanscr. root sad-; Gr. ἙΔ, to sit; cf. [?E+DOS, E+ZOMAI; ?] Lat. sedes, insidiae, sedare, sella, etc.; Engl. sit, seat], to sit.

  1. I. Lit. (very freq. in prose and poetry); constr. absol., with in, the simple abl., or with other prepp. and advv. of place.
    1. A. In gen.
          1. (α) Absol.: hi stant ambo, non sedent, Plaut. Capt. prol. 2; cf. id. ib. 12; id. Mil. 2, 1, 4: quid sit, quod cum tot summi oratores sedeant, ego potissimum surrexerim, remain sitting, Cic. Rosc. Am. 1, 1: sedens iis assensi, id. Fam. 5, 2, 9: lumbi sedendo dolent, Plaut. Men. 5, 3, 6: supplex ille sedet, Prop. 4 (5), 5, 37.
          2. (β) With in: in subselliis, Plaut. Poen. prol. 5: sedilibus in primis eques sedet, Hor. Epod. 4, 16: in proscaenio, Plaut. Poen. prol. 18; cf.: aliquem in XIIII. sessum deducere, Asin. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 32, 2; Suet. Caes. 39 (v. quattuordecim): malo in illā tuā sedeculā sedere quam in istorum sella curuli, Cic. Att. 4, 10, 1; cf.: in sellā, id. Div. 1, 46, 104: in saxo (ejecti), Plaut. Rud. prol. 73; Ov. H. 10, 49: in arā (mulieres supplices), Plaut. Rud. 3, 6, 9: in solio, Cic. Fin. 2, 21, 69; Ov. M. 2, 23: in equo, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 10, § 27: in leone, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 109; and with a gen. specification of the place where: in conclavi, Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 35: in hemicyclio domi, Cic. Lael. 1, 2: bubo in culmine, Ov. M. 6, 432: cornix in humo, id. Am. 3, 5, 22: musca in temone, Phaedr. 3, 6, 1.
          3. (γ) With simple abl. (not ante-Aug.): bis sex caelestes, medio Jove, sedibus altis sedent, Ov. M. 6, 72: solio, id. ib. 6, 650; 14, 261: sede regiā, Liv. 1, 41: eburneis sellis, id. 5, 41: sellā curuli, id. 30, 19: carpento, id. 1, 34: cymbā, Ov. M. 1, 293: puppe, id. F. 6, 471: humo, id. M. 4, 261: equo, Mart. 5, 38, 4; 11, 104, 14; cf.: dorso aselli, Ov. F. 3, 749: delphine, id. M. 11, 237: columbae viridi solo, Verg. A. 6, 192: recessu, Ov. M. 1, 177; 14, 261: theatro, id. A. A. 1, 497.
          4. (δ) With other prepp. and advv. of place: inter ancillas, Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 46: ante fores, Ov. M. 4, 452; Tib. 1, 3, 30: ad tumulum supplex, id. 2, 6, 33: sub arbore, Ov. M. 4, 95: sub Jove, id. ib. 4, 261: ducis sub pede, id. Tr. 4, 2, 44: post me gradu uno, Hor. S. 1, 6, 40: apud quem, Cic. Rep. 3, 28, 32 (ap. Non. 522, 30) et saep.: non sedeo istic, vos sedete, Plaut. Stich. 1, 2, 36: illic, Ter. Hec. 5, 3, 4; id. Phorm. 1, 2, 41.
      1. 2. Late Lat., pass., of animals, to be ridden (cf. Engl. to sit a horse): sederi equos in civitatibus non sivit, Spart. Hadr. 22; Cod. Th. 9, 30, 3: cum (Bucephalus) ab equario suo mollius sederetur, Sol. 45: animalia sedentur, Veg. 2, 28, 12.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Of magistrates, esp. of judges, to sit in council, in court, or on the bench: (Scaevolā tribuno) in Rostris sedente suasit Serviliam legem Crassus, Cic. Brut. 43, 161: ejus igitur mortis sedetis ultores, etc., id. Mil. 29, 79; id. Clu. 37, 103 sq.: si idcirco sedetis, ut, etc., id. Rosc. Am. 53, 153; so, judex, Liv. 40, 8: Appius, ne ejus rei causā sedisse videretur, id. 3, 46, 9; Phaedr. 1, 10, 6: sedissem forsitan unus De centum judex in tua verba viris, Ov. P. 3, 5, 23; Plin. Ep. 6, 33, 3: Minos arbiter, Prop. 3, 19 (4, 18), 27; cf.: sedeo pro tribunali, id. ib. 1, 10, 9: a quibus si qui quaereret, sedissentne judices in Q. Fabricium, sedisse se dicerent, Cic Clu. 38, 105; cf. id. Rab. Post. 5, 10.
        Also of the assistants of the judges: nobis in tribunali Q. Pompeii praetoris urbani sedentibus, Cic. de Or. 1, 37, 168; id. Rosc. Com. 4, 12.
        In Quint., also of the advocate, Quint. 11, 3, 132.
        Of witnesses: dicendo contra reum, cum quo sederit, Quint. 5, 7, 32.
        Of a presiding officer: sedente Claudio, Tac. A. 11, 11.
        Of augurs sitting to wait for an augurium: sed secundum augures sedere est augurium captare, Serv. ad Verg. A. 9, 4; cf. id. ib. 1, 56; Interp. Mai ad Verg. A. 10, 241; Fest. s. v. silentio, p. 248, a Müll.; cf. Becker, Antiq. 2, 3, p. 76.
      2. 2. To continue sitting, to sit still; to continue, remain, tarry, wait, abide in a place; and with an implication of inactivity, to sit idly, be inactive; to linger, loiter, etc.: isdem consulibus sedentibus atque inspectantibus lata lex est, etc., Cic. Sest. 15, 33 (cf. id. Pis. 9): majores nostri, qui in oppido sederent, quam qui rura colerent, desidiosiores putabant, Varr. R. R. 2, prooem. § 1: quasi claudus sutor domi sedet totos dies, Plaut. Aul. 1, 1, 34; cf.: an sedere oportuit Domi, Ter. Ad. 4, 5, 38: iis ventis istinc navigatur, qui si essent, nos Corcyrae non sederemus, Cic. Fam. 16, 7: quor sedebas in foro, si eras coquos Tu solus? Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 11: in villā totos dies, Cic. Att. 12, 44, 2: circum argentarias cottidie, Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 48: sedemus desides domi, Liv. 3, 68: statuit congredi quam cum tantis copiis refugere aut tam diu uno loco sedere, Nep. Dat. 8, 1: non cuivis contingit adire Corinthum. Sedit qui timuit, ne non succederet, sat still, stayed at home, Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 37.
        Esp. of waiting on an oracle or a god for an answer or for aid (= Gr. ϊζειν): ante sacras fores, Tib. 1, 3, 30: illius ad tumulum fugiam supplexque sedebo, id. 2, 6, 33: custos ad mea busta sedens, Prop. 3, 16 (4, 15), 24: meliora deos sedet omina poscens, Verg. G. 3, 456; so of a lover at the door of his mistress: me retinent victum formosae vincla puellae, Et sedeo janitor, Tib. 1, 1, 56: et frustra credula turba sedet, id. 4, 4, 18.
        1. b. Of long, esp. of inactive encamping in war, to sit, i. e. to remain encamped, to keep the field, before an enemy’s fortress or army: hostium copiae magnae contra me sedebant, Cato ap. Charis, p. 197 P.: septimum decimum annum Ilico sedent, Naev. 6, 2: dum apud hostes sedimus, Plaut. Am. 2, 1, 52: sedendo expugnare urbem, Liv. 2, 12: sedendo et cunctando bellum gerere, id. 22, 24: quieto sedente rege ad Enipeum, id. 44, 27: ad Suessulam, id. 7, 37; 9, 3; 9, 44; 10, 25; 22, 39; 23, 19; 44, 27; Verg. A. 5, 440: apud moenia Contrebiae, Val. Max. 7, 4, 5.
          Hence, prov.: compressis, quod aiunt, manibus sedere, Liv. 7, 13, 7; and: vetus proverbium est, Romanus sedendo vincit (prob. originating with Q. Fabius Cunctator), Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 2.
      3. 3. For desideo (2.), to sit at stool, Marc. Emp. 29; so, sordido in loco sedere, Val. Max. 9, 13, 2.
  2. II. Trop. (in prose not freq. till after the Aug. per.; not in Cic.).
    1. A. In gen., to sink or settle down, to subside: cum pondere libra Prona nec hac plus parte sedet nec surgit ab illā, Tib. 4, 1, 42: quod neque tam fuerunt gravia, ut depressa sederent, Nec levia, ut possent per summas labier oras, Lucr. 5, 474; cf.: flamma petit altum; propior locus aëra cepit; Sederunt medio terra fretumque solo, Ov. F. 1,110: sedet nebula densior campo quam montibus, Liv. 22, 4: sedet vox auribus, sinks into, penetrates, Quint. 11, 3, 40: rupti aliqui montes tumulique sedere, Sall. Fragm. ap. Isid. Orig. 14, 1, 2 (H. 2, 43 Dietsch); cf.: sedisse immensos montes, Tac. A. 2, 47: memor illius escae, Quae simplex olim sibi sederit, sat well upon your stomach, i. e. agreed well with you, Hor. S. 2, 2, 73; Quint. 9, 4, 94.
      1. 2. Of feelings, passions, etc.: his dictis sedere minae, subsided, i. e. were quieted, = sedatae sunt, Sil. 10, 624; cf.: nusquam irae: sedit rabies feritasque famesque, Stat. Th. 10, 823.
      2. 3. Of places, to sink, i. e. to lie low, to be in the valley or plain: campo Nola sedet, Sil. 12, 162: mediisque sedent convallibus arva, Luc. 3, 380; Stat. Th. 1, 330; cf.: lactuca sedens, i. e. lower, Mart. 10, 48, 9 ( = sessilis, id. 3, 47, 8).
    2. B. In partic., to sit, sit close or tight, to hold or hang fast, to be fast, firm, fixed, immovable; be settled, established, etc.: tempus fuit, quo navit in undis, Nunc sedet Ortygie, Ov. M. 15, 337: in liquido sederunt ossa cerebro, stuck fast, id. ib. 12, 289; so of weapons, etc., that sink deep: clava (Herculis), adversi sedit in ore viri, id. F. 1, 576: cujus (Scaevae) in scuto centum atque viginti tela sedere, Flor. 4, 2, 40: librata cum sederit (glans), Liv. 38, 29; hence, poet. also, of deep-seated wounds: plagam sedere Cedendo arcebat, from sinking or penetrating deeply, Ov. M. 3, 88: alta sedent vulnera, Luc. 1, 32.
      Of clothes, to fit (opp. dissidere, v. Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 96): ita et sedet melius et continetur (pars togae), sits better, Quint. 11, 3, 140 sq.; so, toga umero, id. 11, 3, 161; cf.: quam bene umeris tuis sederet imperium, Plin. Pan. 10, 6.
      Of vessels: sicco jam litore sedit, Luc. 8, 726: naves super aggerationem, quae fuerat sub aquā, sederent, stuck fast, grounded, Vitr. 10, 22 med. et saep.: cujus laetissima facies et amabilis vultus in omnium civium ore, oculis, animo sedet, Plin. Pan. 55, 10: aliquid fideliter in animo, Sen. Ep. 2, 2: unum Polynicis amati Nomen in ore sedet, Stat. Th. 12, 114; so, Cressa relicta in ingenio tuo, Ov. H. 2, 76: sedere coepit sententia haec, to be established, Plin. 2, 7, 5, § 23; cf.: nunc parum mihi sedet judicium, Sen. Ep. 46, 3; Amm. 14, 1, 5; 15, 2, 5.
      Hence, also of any thing fixed, resolved, or determined upon: si mihi non animo fixum immotumque sederet, Ne cui, etc., Verg. A. 4, 15; cf.: idque pio sedet Aeneae, id. ib. 5, 418: bellum, Flor. 2, 15, 4: consilium fugae, id. 2, 18, 14: haec, Sil. 15, 352.
      With a subject-clause: tunc sedet Ferre iter impavidum, Stat. Th. 1, 324: vacuo petere omina caelo, id. ib. 3, 459: Aegaei scopulos habitare profundi, Val. Fl. 2, 383.