a seat of government, especially a place of military authority, hence, in U.S. Southwest, "a military post," 1808, American English, from Spanish presidio "fort, settlement," from Latin praesidium "defense, protection," from praesidere "to sit before, protect" (see preside). Related: Presidial; presidary.
mid-14c., "brood or flock of partridges" (also applied to similar birds), from Old French covee "a brood, a hatching" (Modern French couvée), from Gallo-Roman *cubata, literally "hatchling," from past-participle stem of Latin cubare "to sit, incubate, hatch" (see cubicle).
late 14c., "dwelling, residing, having an abode in a place for a continuance of time," from Old French resident and directly from Latin residentem (nominative residens), present participle of residere "to sit down, settle" (see reside). From early 15c. as "stay in a place in discharge of some duty," originally ecclesiastical.
"a solid bounded by many (usually more than 6) plane faces," 1560s, from Latinized form of Greek polyedron, neuter of adjective polyedros "having many bases or sides," from polys "many" (from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill") + hedra "seat, base, chair, face of a geometric solid" (from PIE root *sed- (1) "to sit").
late 14c., sessioun, "periodical sitting of a court," from Old French session "act or state of sitting; assembly," from Latin sessionem (nominative sessio) "act of sitting; a seat; loitering; a session," noun of action from past-participle stem of sedere "to sit" (from PIE root *sed- (1) "to sit").
By 1550s in the general sense of "the time or term during which a legislature, etc. meets daily for business." The still more general sense of "period set aside for some activity" is recorded by 1920, in bull session, which probably is extended from quarter sessions courts (see quarter (n.1)).
The musical sense of "recording occasion in a studio" is from 1927. The literal classical sense has been rare in English except in theology, of Christ's enthronement at the right hand of the Father (early 15c.). Related: Sessional.
