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VISIT.
2. a. An instance of going to see, and assist or
comfort, persons in distress.
1709 C/'.'V/f), A charitable Visit to the Prisons, containing
counsel to those who are confined there. 179J [R. Cecil]
'ytitU)^ A Friendly Visit to the House of Mourning.
b. A call made by a clergyman as part of his
pastoral duties.
«7«4 A. Shields Li/e % Remuihk 114 No place did more
desire his frequent Visits than iho>e that were most persecuted
for him. 17^7 Yiij^aio^ Funer. Sernt. y. A'esifit ^x His
visits were generally short, but very agreeable, and useful.
O. A professional call made by a doctor on a
patient.
1719 BovER Diet. Rfyal\. s.v., The visit of a Physitian,
or Surgeon. 1858 Simmonds Did. Trade, Visit, the attendance
of a surgeon or physician, inspector, etc. x86i Flor.
Nightingale A'wrj/wg- 35 For a doctor., to leave the patient
and communicate his opinion on the result of his visit.,
within hearing.. of the patient [etc. J. 189a J. W. Martin
Quest. (J- Answ. Nursing- q-2 To report anything that may
appear unusual to the Doctor at his next visit.
3. a. Surgical examination (of a wound), rare—^.
1796 Charlotte Smith Marchmont IV. 17, I am faint
after a visit to my wound.
b. An instance (or the action) of going to a
place, house, etc., for the purpose of insi)ection or
examination.
1787 Burns T.et.toM, Chahners^\i%. (Globe) 352, I have
been at Dumfries, and at one visit more shall be deciiled
about a farm in that country. 1815 J. C. Hobhouse Sul^stancf
Lett. (i8i6) I. 291 The Emperor, .examined the new
manufacture of Arms. . . Napoleon was accompanied only by
three officers when he made this visit. x86i M. Pattison
Aw. (1889) I, 48 Sir Thomas More made, as Chancellor, a
domiciliary visit in search of heretical books. (897 J. S.
KisLEv Law 0/ War 111. viii. 265 {heading) The right of
visit and search. A belligerent has the right, .to visit and
search every merchant ship at sea in time of war.
t4. An occurrence of menstruation. Obs,
i6S3 T. Brugis / 'ode Mecvm (ed. 2) 112 Philonium Persicum..b
good against the overmuch flowing of womens
naturall visits, //rid. 127 Myrrhe . . procureth womens
monthly vi-its. 1781 Bradley Philos. Ace. lyks. iVat. 95
The Females of these have periodical Visits like Females of
the Human Race.
5, attrib, and Comb.f as visit-day, -pet heo fluwen monne sturbinge,
& wenden bi ham one : & tet God visitede ham &
jef bam hore bonen. a 1300 Cursor M. 5789 Sai ^m i sal
^am son visete, . . I sal l>nin bring vte of tbain-hede. a 1325
Prose Psalter cv. (cvi.) 4 penche, Lord, on vs in l>e welelikandof
^y folk, and visit vs in i>yne hell>e. 1340 Ayenh.
128 pet is ^et uerste guod l>et t»e holy gosl del? to J>e sene*
^ere, huanne be htm uisite^. 138a Wvclip Jer. xv. 15 Lord,
recorde thou of me, and visite me, and delyucre me fro them
that pursuen me. c 141s Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 914 God,
as him list, visltith folk, & smyt. c\^^ Alph, 'I ales 269
Almighti (>od base forsaken nie, becauce He vissettis not
me as He was wunt. 1535 Coverdale Rntk L 6 She had
herdc.y' the Lorde had visited his people & geuen them
bred. iou preuest him'. 1535
Coverdale Job xxxi. 14 But seynge that God wil sytt in
judgment, what shal I do? And for so moch as he wilnedes
vyset me, what answere shal I geue him? 1645 Caryl
Expos, y^^ L 637 'i he eye of God is alway upon us:., he
visiieih us so, that we can turn no way but he is with us,
i667Milton/'.Z., XII. 48 But God who oft descends to visit
men Unseen, and through thir habitations walks To mark
thir doings.
absol 1611 Bible y^^*^ xxxi. 14 What then shall I do, when
God riseih vp ? and when hee visiteth, what shall I answere
him?
3. To inflict hurt, harm, or punishment upon (a
person) ;
to deal severely or hardly with (persons
or things) ; f to cut off, cause to die.
138a Wyclif Isa. xxvi. 14 I'herfore thou hast visityd, and
tobrosedest hem, and lost al the mynde of hem. 1485 Ctn'.
Leet Bk. 528 If your wisdomes. .well please.. to chese me
. . Recorder of your Cttie, if God visite your Recorder that
nowe is. 1535 Coverdale Amos iii. 2 Therfore will I vyset
Vou in all youre wickednesses. 1541 Test. Ebor. (Surtees)
VI. 152 Heinge visitt with the hande of God. 1594 T. B.
La Primaud. Fr. Acad. 11. 312 Let vs alwayes looke to the
first cause of our affliction, and to God who visiteth vs lustly.
i6tx Bible Amos iii. 14, I will also visite the altars of
Bethel, and the homes of the altar shall be cut oflT. 1645 ;
Carvl Expos. Job I. 636 When God vi.sits our bodies, our '
estates, our families, or the kingdom where we live.
rtiTTO JoRTiN .SVrw/. {1771) I. iii. 52 We haue mentioned
several reasons why God doth not immediately visit the
disobediant. 1781 Cowper Expost. 248 If vice receiv'd her
retribution due When we were visited, what hope for you ?
1788 Gibbon Decl. 4- ^.xlviii. V. 67 Her life was spared by
the clemency of the emperor, but he visited the pomp and
treasures of her palace.
b. To afflict or distress with sickness, poverty^
or the like.
1414 HcK. VI in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. 11. 1. 100 Oure bel
Uncle of Excestre, whom oure Lord now late visitid with
seknesse. c 1430 Lvdg. Min. Poems (Percy See.) 127 Som
withe povert hym list to visite. 15x6 Pilgr. Per/, (W. de
W. 15^1) 134 b, Euerychylde that he receyueth.hechastiseth
& visiteth with payne & tribulacyon. ijiBi pETTiKGuazzo's
CiT. Conv. I. (1586) 2 God.. hauing visited mee with a long,
and perchaunce a curelesse disease, 158a N. Lichefield tr.
CastanAeda's Conq. E. Ind. 1. vii. 19 b, Fiefore his departure
. .he ment to visit the town of Mousambick, anti the dwellers
therein, with some sufficient reuenge. 1614 J, Usher
\\\ Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 131 It pleased God to visite me
with aquartan. 1748 Smollett R. Random xxvii, His indignation
ought to be directed to Cot Almighty, who visited
his people with distempers. i86a Hoyd Graver Thoughts
52 Holy Scripture sets before us two men,, .each of whom
was visited with a thorn in the flesh to keep him down.
C. To deprive ^something. rare~^.
c 1585 Faire Em ui. iv, Good father, giue me leaue to sit
where 1 may not be disturbed, sith God hath visited me ,
both of my sight and hearing. I
4. Of sickness, etc. : To come upon (a person or j
persons), to assail or afflict. Freq. in passive and '
const, with or by.
c 1340 Hampole /v. Consc. 1980 Als we suld ilk day beded
fele. And byde noght til (je dede us vyset. 138a Wyclif
Numb. xvi. 29 If [ihere]. . visyte them a veniaunce, with the
which and other ben woned to be visytid, the Lorde hath
not sente me. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. K/, 95 The kvng I
his father, so visited with sickenesse was not personable.
a 1578 LiNDESAV(Pitscottie)CV/r£7rt..SVo/. (S.T.S.) I. 156 He |
was hestelie vissitit with the heot feweris. 1596 Shaks. '
/ Hen. IV, IV. i. 26, 1 would the state of time had first beene i
whole. Ere he by sicknesse had beene visited. 1645 Caryl
Expos. Job I. 636 When a house hath the Plague,.. we
use to say. Such a house is visited. 1657 -R. Ligon Barbadoes
(1673) 21 So grievously visited with the plague,
..that before a month., the living were hardly able to bury
the dead. i66a E. Hookksiii Extr. St. P. rel. Friends 11.
(1911) 154 In the White Lyon prtsson,. about 23 of them
vissitted with sicknesse and a hiyh feever. 1717 Swift God^s
Key. agst. PuttningV^ks. 1755 III, i. 171 One Samuel an
Irishman, for his forward attempt to pun. .hath been visited
all his life after with bulls and blunders. 1754 Med. Observ.
(1776) I. 43 Being visited by a gentle attack [of gout] in
both feet. ^ 1834 R. & J. Lander Exped. Niger I. iii. 120
Since leaving Jcnna, we have met an incredible number of
persons visited with the loss of one eye. 1855 Poultry
Chron. III. 148/1 Some which were, .tended with constant
care, all died :
and similar mortality has visited others also.
1866 Rogers Agric. ^ Prices 1. xxiii. 602 Cornwall must
have been more lightly visited with the Plague than most
English counties.
b. spec, in pass. Bewitched.
i8so Sporting Mag. VII. lor On account of their stock
thus 'visited', as the term is, the infatuated peasantry
almost invariably have recourse to charms.
6. To punish or requite (wrongdoing). Also
const, with,
a I3»s Prose Psalter Uxxvi'il (Ixxxix.) 32 V shal uisite in
chasteing her wickednesses, and her syn^es in vengeaunce.
138a Wyclif Exod. xxxii. 34 V in the day of veniaunce
shal visite this synne of hem. [.'Vlso Jer. xiv. 10, Lam. iv.
VISIT.
22, etc. ; similarly in later versions.) 1535 Coverdale Jer.
xxiii. 2 Therfore, now will I vyset the wickednes of youre
ymaginacions, saieth >•• Lorde. 1833 I. Taylor Fanat.
li. 41 So jealous is Nature of lier constitutions that she
rigorously visits every infringement of them. Jbid. 49
'Itie instinct of Retribution or the \eliement desire to see
wrong visited with punishment. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng.
iv. I. 496 What, he often said, could be more unjust, than 10
visit speculations with penalties which ought to be reserved
for acts? 1879 Froude Cxsar xix. 310 Mild offences were
visited with the loss of eyes or ears.
b. To avenge, or inflict ])unishment for (wrong-
doing) on or upon (also f w, into) a person.
138a ^ychw Exod. XX. ^
3 Visitynge the wickidnes offadris
in sones into the thridde and the ferthe generacioun. —
Jer. xxiii. 2 Y shal visite vp on ;ow the malice of ijoure
studies. 153s Coverdale Numb. xiv. 18 The Lortle..
vysiteth the myszdede of the fathers vpon the children. 1595
Shaks. John 11. i. 179 Thy siniies are visiied in this poore
childe. 1596 — Merch. V, 111. v. 16 So the sins of my
mother should be visited vpon me. i6ii Bible Jer. xxiii. 2
Behold I will visite vpon you the euill of your doings. 1667
Milton P. L. x. 955, I to that place Would speed before
thee,. .That on my head all might be visited. 1813 Shelley
Q. Mab vm. i8i Which doubly visits on the tyrants' heads
The long.protracted fulness of their woe. 1831 Keble
Serm. v. (1848) 118 Thus, reversing the Scripture rule most
unfairly, men visit the sins of the children on the fathers.
1866 G, Macdonai-D Ann. Q. Neighb. xiii. (1878) 266 He
visited the daughter's fault upon the son.
o. To inflict (pimishment) on one. rare*
1836 J. Gilbert Chr. A tonem. ix. (1852) 292 It is said to
be of the essence of legal penalty to visit punishment on the
person of the offender,
6. ahsoi. To take vengeance or inflict punishment.
+ Also const, on or ewer,
138a Wyclif Isa. x. 12, I shal visite vpon the fruyt of the
gret doende herte of the king of Assur. Ibid. xxviL i In
that dai viseten shal the Lord in his harde swerd..vp on
leiiyathan. 1609 Bible (Douay) Isa. xiii. 11 And 1 will
visite over the evils of the world, and against the impious
their iniquitie. 1840 De Quincky Essenes 111, When the
vilest outrages were offered by foreigners to their women,
probably they [sc. the Sicarii] * visited ' for such atrocities.
II. 7. To make a practice of going to (persons
in sickness or distress) in order to comfort or assist
them.
c laso Kent. Serm. in O. E. Misc. 28 For Jjo luue of gode
wakie, go ine pelrimage, uisiti ^^epoure, and to sike. c 1315
Shorkham I. 1032 IToJ Vysyty syke and prysone, And helpe
pouereat nede, ciyj^ Lay J- oiks' Catech, 1133 Whi sehuld
venym or stynk lette vs to visite men in presun. 1377
Langu p. Pl.^ B. V. 412, I visited neuere fieble men, ne
fettered folke in puttes. c 14^ Lyix;, Min. Poetns (Percy
See.) 68 Visite the pore, with intyre diligence. On al nedy
have thow compassioun. C1450 Mirk^s P'estial 231 Helpe
l?e seke, and vysed horn |)at be in prison, c 1491 Chast
Goddes Chyld. 13 Also it isgood to visite seke folke that ben
holden goostly lyuers. 15*6 Tindalk Jas. i. 27 To vysit
the frendlesseand widdowes in their adversite. 1588 .Shaks.
L. L. L. v. ii. 861 You shall this tweluemonth terme from
day to day, Visile the speechlesse sicke. 1603— Meas,/or
M. II. iii. 4 Bound by my charity,..! come to visite the
afflicted spirits Here in the prison. 1687 J. Renwick in
A. Shields Li^e (1724) 219 Ye must visit the Sick and these
who are in Distress. 1795 Paley {title''. The Clergyman's
Companion in Visiting the Sick. 1863 Chambers' Encycl.
IV. 541/1 The deplorable condition of the female prisonars
in Newgate attracted her lElizabeth Fry's] attention, and
she resolved upon visiting them.
absoL a 1591 H. Smith VVks. (1867) II. 22 The devil goeth
a-visiting, he will teach the sick how they shall recover
their health.
b. Similarly with reference to individual cases.
a 1300 Cursor M. 16013 Til his felaus he yede He went
him for to wisit )>aim, for J»ar«of had \>?\ nede. 1303 R.
Brunne Hantil. Synne 4388 He lay yn hys bedde long
Sone aftyr betydde a lytte pe kyng come, hym to vysyte.
13.. Seuyn Siiges (W.) 1138 He let of-sende.. Hise neyebours
him to visite. And told..Hou his deth was comen
him on. 1389 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 50 bere shal no bro^r
ne sister sene oihir in prison, {but) I'at he shal comyn and
vesyten hym and comfordyn hym. 1530 Palsgr. 766/1 It is
an almesse dede to visyte the poore man, he hath ben long
sycke. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon 1. 167 It pleaseth me well
that this caytyue Huon, who endureih myche payne, be
vysytyd by thee. 1548-9 (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Vis.
Sicky If the person visited bee very sicke, then the curate
ma^ end his exhortacion at this place. 1607 Shaks. Cor.
I. iii. 85 Come, you must go visit the good Lady that lies in.
1645 Caryl Expos. Job I. 636 Christ pronounceth the blessing
on them who, when he was in prison, visited him.
171a N. Spikckes (title), The Sick Man Visited; and furnished
with Instructions, Meditations, and Prayers. 1808
Mrs, E. Hamilton Cottagers o/Glenburnie x, The minister.
.bad been sent for. .to visit a sick parishioner.
8. To go to see (a person) in a friendly or sociable
manner ; to call upon as an act of friendliness
or politeness, or for some special purpose ; also,
to stay with for a short time as a guest.
13. .Artk. 9( Merlin 701 Biside J>er woned an ermite, fat
J>ider com, t>is t = these] to visite. 13., Guy War^v. (A.)
4450 Whende ichil in-tomi cuntre, Mine frendes to visite &
to se. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 325 pat tyme
whanne Moyses visited his brejjeren in ^lelond of lessen, he
slow5 a man of J)e P!gipcians. c 1400 Maundev. (1839) v. 39
And whan the Soudan wille, he may go visite him. 1413-30
V.snG. Chron. 7>