Definition of "babysit" in English

verb

1. (ambitransitive) To watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money.

   • My daughter is babysitting for the Morgans at number ten, who are going out on a date night.
   • We need someone to babysit our children while we go to the theater.

2. (transitive, informal) To watch or tend a thing or process without normally intervening in it, e.g. as a precaution should an emergency happen.

   • The reaction takes several hours, so we leave a graduate student to babysit it.

3. (transitive, informal) To watch or attend anything or anyone more closely than ought to be needed; to have to help or coax too much.

   • He left me to babysit the new guy while he got some work done.