visit

Meanings

1. To habitually go to (someone in distress, sickness etc.) to comfort them. (Now generally merged into later senses, below.)
2. To go and meet (a person) as an act of friendliness or sociability.
3. Of God: to appear to (someone) to comfort, bless, or chastise or punish them. (Now generally merged into later senses, below.)
4. To punish, to inflict harm upon (someone or something).
5. Of a sickness, misfortune etc.: to afflict (someone).
6. To inflict punishment, vengeance for (an offense) on or upon someone.
7. To go to (a shrine, temple etc.) for worship. (Now generally merged into later senses, below.)
8. To go to (a place) for pleasure, on an errand, etc.

1. A single act of visiting.
2. A meeting with a doctor at their surgery or the doctor's at one's home.

Etymology

From Middle English visiten, from Old French visiter, from Latin vīsitō, frequentative of vīsō (“behold, survey”), from videō (“see”). Cognate with Old Saxon wīsōn (“to visit, afflict”), archaic German weisen (“to visit, afflict”). Displaced native Old English sēċan (“to visit”) and sōcn (“a visit”). The noun is from French visite or the verb. Doublet of visite.