Adjacent Words

Suit definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SUIT, n. [L. sequor.] See Seek. In Law Latin, secta is from the same source.] Literally, a following; and so used in the old English statutes.
1. Consecution; succession; series; regular order; as the same kind and suit of weather. [Not now so applied.]
2. A set; a number of things used together, and in a degree necessary to be united, in order to answer the purpose; as a suit of curtains; a suit of armor; sometimes with less dependence of the particular parts on each other, but still united in use; as a suit of clothes; a suit of apartments.
3. A set of the same kind or stamp, as a suit of cards.
4. Retinue; a company or number of attendants or followers; attendance; train; as a nobleman and his suit. [This is sometimes pronounced as a French word, sweet; but in all its senses, this is the same word, and the affectation of making it French in one use and English in another, is improper, not to say ridiculous.]
5. A petition; a seeking for something by petition or application.
Many shall make suit to thee. Job 11.
6. Solicitation of a woman in marriage; courtship.
7. In law, an action or process for the recovery of a right or claim; legal application to a court for justice; prosecution of right before any tribunal; as a civil suit; a criminal suit; a suit in chancery.
In England, the several suits or remedial instruments of justice, are distinguished into three kinds, actions personal, real, and mixed.
8. Pursuit; prosecution; chase.
Suit and service, in feudal law, the duty of feudatories to attend the courts of their lords or superiors in time of peace, and in war, to follow them and perform military service.
To bring suit, a phrase in law, denoting literally to bring secta, followers or witnesses to prove the plaintif's demand. The phrase is antiquated, or rather it has changed its signification; for to bring a suit, now is to institute an action.
Out of suits, having no correspondence.
Suit-covenant, in law, is a covenant to sue at a certain court.
Suit-court, in law, the court in which tenants owe attendance to their lord.
SUIT, v.t. To fit; to adapt; to make proper. Suit the action to the word. Suit the gestures to the passion to be expressed. Suit the style to the subject.
1. To become; to be fitted to.
Ill suits his cloth the praise of railing well.
Raise her notes to that sublime degree,
Which suits a song of piety and thee.
2. To dress; to clothe.
Such a Sebastian was by brother too,
So went he suited to his watery tomb.
3. To please; to make content. He is well suited with his place.
SUIT, v.i. To agree; to accord; as, to suit with; to suit to. Pity suits with a noble nature.
Give me not an office
That suits with me so ill--
The place itself was suiting to his care.
[The use of with, after suit, is now most frequent.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a set of garments (usually including a jacket and trousers or skirt) for outerwear all of the same fabric and color; "they buried him in his best suit" [syn: suit, suit of clothes]
2: a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy; "the family brought suit against the landlord" [syn: lawsuit, suit, case, cause, causa]
3: (slang) a businessman dressed in a business suit; "all the suits care about is the bottom line"
4: a man's courting of a woman; seeking the affections of a woman (usually with the hope of marriage); "its was a brief and intense courtship" [syn: courtship, wooing, courting, suit]
5: a petition or appeal made to a person of superior status or rank
6: playing card in any of four sets of 13 cards in a pack; each set has its own symbol and color; "a flush is five cards in the same suit"; "in bridge you must follow suit"; "what suit is trumps?" v
1: be agreeable or acceptable to; "This suits my needs" [syn: suit, accommodate, fit]
2: be agreeable or acceptable; "This time suits me"
3: accord or comport with; "This kind of behavior does not suit a young woman!" [syn: befit, suit, beseem]
4: enhance the appearance of; "Mourning becomes Electra"; "This behavior doesn't suit you!" [syn: become, suit]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English sute, seute pursuit, retinue, set, legal action, from Anglo-French siute, suite, from Vulgar Latin *sequita, from feminine of *sequitus, past participle of *sequere to follow — more at sue Date: 14th century 1. archaic suite 1 2. a. recourse or appeal to a feudal superior for justice or redress b. an action or process in a court for the recovery of a right or claim 3. an act or instance of suing or seeking by entreaty ; appeal; specifically courtship 4. a group of things forming a unit ; suite — used chiefly of armor, sails, and counters in games 5. a set of garments: as a. an ensemble of two or more usually matching outer garments (as a jacket, vest, and trousers) <businessmen wearing three-piece suits> b. a costume to be worn for a special purpose or under particular conditions <gym suits> 6. a. all the playing cards in a pack bearing the same symbol b. all the dominoes bearing the same number c. all the cards or counters in a particular suit held by one player <a 5-card suit> d. the suit led <follow suit> 7. slang a business executive — usually used in plural • suited adjective II. verb Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to be becoming to <that dress suits you> b. to be proper for ; befit <a mood that suits the occasion> 2. to outfit with clothes ; dress 3. accommodate, adapt <suit the action to the word> 4. to meet the needs or desires of ; please <suits me fine> intransitive verb 1. to be in accordance ; agree <the position suits with your abilities> 2. to be appropriate or satisfactory <these prices don't suit> 3. to put on specially required clothing (as a uniform or protective garb) — usually used with up <players suiting up for the game>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a a set of outer clothes of matching material for men, consisting usu. of a jacket, trousers, and sometimes a waistcoat. b a similar set of clothes for women usu. having a skirt instead of trousers. c (esp. in comb.) a set of clothes for a special occasion, occupation, etc. (play-suit; swimsuit). 2 a any of the four sets (spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs) into which a pack of cards is divided. b a player's holding in a suit (his strong suit was clubs). c Bridge one of the suits as proposed trumps in bidding, frequently as opposed to no trumps. 3 (in full suit at law) a lawsuit (criminal suit). 4 a a petition esp. to a person in authority. b the process of courting a woman (paid suit to her). 5 (usu. foll. by of) a set of sails, armour, etc. --v. 1 tr. go well with (a person's figure, features, character, etc.); become. 2 tr. (also absol.) meet the demands or requirements of; satisfy; agree with (does not suit all tastes; that date will suit). 3 tr. make fitting or appropriate; accommodate; adapt (suited his style to his audience). 4 tr. (as suited adj.) appropriate; well-fitted (not suited to be an engineer). 5 intr. (usu. foll. by with) go well with the appearance etc. of a person (red hair suits with her complexion). Phrases and idioms: suit the action to the word carry out a promise or threat at once. suit oneself 1 do as one chooses. 2 find something that satisfies one. Etymology: ME f. AF siute, OF si(e)ute f. fem. past part. of Rmc sequere (unrecorded) follow: see SUE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Suit Suit, n. [OE. suite, F. suite, OF. suite, sieute, fr. suivre to follow, OF. sivre; perhaps influenced by L. secta. See Sue to follow, and cf. Sect, Suite.] 1. The act of following or pursuing, as game; pursuit. [Obs.] 2. The act of suing; the process by which one endeavors to gain an end or an object; an attempt to attain a certain result; pursuit; endeavor. Thenceforth the suit of earthly conquest shone. --Spenser. 3. The act of wooing in love; the solicitation of a woman in marriage; courtship. Rebate your loves, each rival suit suspend, Till this funereal web my labors end. --Pope. 4. (Law) The attempt to gain an end by legal process; an action or process for the recovery of a right or claim; legal application to a court for justice; prosecution of right before any tribunal; as, a civil suit; a criminal suit; a suit in chancery. I arrest thee at the suit of Count Orsino. --Shak. In England the several suits, or remedial instruments of justice, are distinguished into three kinds -- actions personal, real, and mixed. --Blackstone. 5. That which follows as a retinue; a company of attendants or followers; the assembly of persons who attend upon a prince, magistrate, or other person of distinction; -- often written suite, and pronounced sw[=e]t. 6. Things that follow in a series or succession; the individual objects, collectively considered, which constitute a series, as of rooms, buildings, compositions, etc.; -- often written suite, and pronounced sw[=e]t. 7. A number of things used together, and generally necessary to be united in order to answer their purpose; a number of things ordinarily classed or used together; a set; as, a suit of curtains; a suit of armor; a suit of clothes. ``Two rogues in buckram suits.'' --Shak. 8. (Playing Cards) One of the four sets of cards which constitute a pack; -- each set consisting of thirteen cards bearing a particular emblem, as hearts, spades, cubs, or diamonds. To deal and shuffle, to divide and sort Her mingled suits and sequences. --Cowper. 9. Regular order; succession. [Obs.] Every five and thirty years the same kind and suit of weather comes again. --Bacon.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Suit Suit, v. i. To agree; to accord; to be fitted; to correspond; -- usually followed by with or to. The place itself was suiting to his care. --Dryden. Give me not an office That suits with me so ill. --Addison. Syn: To agree; accord; comport; tally; correspond; match; answer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Suit Suit, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Suited; p. pr. & vb. n. Suiting.] 1. To fit; to adapt; to make proper or suitable; as, to suit the action to the word. --Shak. 2. To be fitted to; to accord with; to become; to befit. Ill suits his cloth the praise of railing well. --Dryden. Raise her notes to that sublime degree Which suits song of piety and thee. --Prior. 3. To dress; to clothe. [Obs.] So went he suited to his watery tomb. --Shak. 4. To please; to make content; as, he is well suited with his place; to suit one's taste.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Possessory Pos*sess"o*ry, a. [L. possessorius: cf. F. possessoire.] Of or pertaining to possession, either as a fact or a right; of the nature of possession; as, a possessory interest; a possessory lord. Possessory action or suit (Law), an action to regain or obtain possession of something. See under Petitory.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(suits, suiting, suited) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. A man's suit consists of a jacket, trousers, and sometimes a waistcoat, all made from the same fabric. ...a dark pin-striped business suit. ...a smart suit and tie. N-COUNT 2. A woman's suit consists of a jacket and skirt, or sometimes trousers, made from the same fabric. I was wearing my tweed suit. N-COUNT 3. A particular type of suit is a piece of clothing that you wear for a particular activity. ...a completely revolutionary atmospheric diving suit. N-COUNT: n N 4. If something suits you, it is convenient for you or is the best thing for you in the circumstances. They will only release information if it suits them... They should be able to find you the best package to suit your needs. VERB: no cont, V n, V n 5. If something suits you, you like it. I don't think a sedentary life would altogether suit me. VERB: no cont, V n 6. If a piece of clothing or a particular style or colour suits you, it makes you look attractive. Green suits you. VERB: no cont, V n 7. If you suit yourself, you do something just because you want to do it, without bothering to consider other people. These large institutions make–and change–the rules to suit themselves... He made a dismissive gesture. 'Suit yourself.' = please VERB: V pron-refl, V pron-refl 8. In a court of law, a suit is a case in which someone tries to get a legal decision against a person or company, often so that the person or company will have to pay them money for having done something wrong to them. Up to 2,000 former employees have filed personal injury suits against the company... = lawsuit N-COUNT • In American English, you can say that someone files or brings suit against another person. One insurance company has already filed suit against the city of Chicago. 9. A suit is one of the four types of card in a set of playing cards. These are hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. N-COUNT 10. see also bathing suit, birthday suit, boiler suit, trouser suit 11. If people follow suit, they do the same thing that someone else has just done. Efforts to persuade the remainder to follow suit have continued. PHRASE: V inflects

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Set, suite. 2. Retinue, set, suite. 3. Request, solicitation, petition, entreaty, prayer, supplication, appeal, invocation, suing. 4. Courtship, wooing, addresses. 5. (Law.) Prosecution, process, trial, action, cause, case. II. v. a. 1. Fit, adapt, adjust, fashion, accommodate, level, match, make suitable or proper. 2. Become, befit, beseem; be suited, fitted, or adapted to; be suitable for, be appropriate for. 3. Please, gratify, make content. III. v. n. Agree, accord, harmonize, comport, tally, correspond, match, answer.

Moby Thesaurus

Angelus, Ave, Ave Maria, Hail Mary, Kyrie Eleison, Paternoster, accommodate, accommodate with, accord, accouter, accusal, accusation, accusing, action, adapt, adapt to, addresses, adjuration, adjust, adjust to, agree with, aid prayer, allegation, allegement, amorous pursuit, answer, appeal, application, arraignment, asking, assimilate to, attune, battery, be OK, be guided by, beadroll, beads, become, befit, bend, benefit, beseechment, bib and tucker, bid, bidding prayer, bill of particulars, blame, block, breviary, bringing of charges, bringing to book, business suit, call, canvass, capacitate, caparison, case, casual suit, cause, cause in court, chaplet, charge, check, check out, chime in with, clamor, clothes, clothing, collect, combination, communion, complaint, comply, comply with, compose, condition, conform, conform to, contemplation, correct, correspond, costume, count, court, courting, courtship, cry, delation, denouncement, denunciation, devotions, discipline, disguise, do, do the job, double-breasted suit, dress, enable, enhance, ensemble, entreaty, equip, fall in with, fill the bill, fit, fit out, follow, frock, furnish, gallantry, garb, gear to, gee, go, go by, go with, grace, gratify, habit, harmonize, harmonize with, hit the spot, impeachment, impetration, implication, imploration, imploring, imprecation, imputation, indictment, information, innuendo, insinuation, intercession, invocation, invocatory plea, jibe, judicial process, jump suit, kit, lawsuit, laying of charges, legal action, legal case, legal proceedings, legal process, legal remedy, litany, litigation, livery, make conform, masquerade, meditation, meet, mold, obsecration, observe, obtestation, orison, outfit, pack, petition, plaint, plea, please, prayer, prayer wheel, proceeding, proceedings, process, prosecution, put in trim, put in tune, quadrate, qualify, reconcile, rectify, relate, reproach, request, requesting, riding habit, rig, rig out, rig up, rogation, rosary, rub off corners, satisfy, separates, serenade, series, serve, set, settle, shape, shirtwaist suit, silent prayer, single-breasted suit, ski suit, solicitation, soliciting, sports suit, square, straighten, suffice, suing, suit at law, suite, supplication, tailor, tailored suit, tally, tally with, taxing, thanks, thanksgiving, trial, tropical suit, true bill, tune, turn out, two-piece suit, uniform, unspoken accusation, veiled accusation, wooing, yield