to sit under
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A colloquialism for attending the ministrations of the clergyman named. The phrase was common three hundred years ago, and is still in use.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to sit under” mean?
A colloquialism for attending the ministrations of the clergyman named. The phrase was common three hundred years ago, and is still in use.
Is “to sit under” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.