to sit upon or occupy a place by sitting; to besiege by surrounding.
From be- (prefix) + sit (Old English sittan). Originally meant 'to sit around' or 'to surround by sitting,' which evolved into a military term meaning to besiege or blockade.
This word is related to 'besiege'—they both come from the same root idea of surrounding something, whether you're sitting around it or militarily surrounding a fortress. Language loves these patterns!
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