transit

1 of 2

noun

1
a(1)
: conveyance of persons or things from one place to another
(2)
: usually local transportation especially of people by public conveyance
also : vehicles or a system engaged in such transportation
b
: an act, process, or instance of passing through or over
2
a
: passage of a celestial body over the meridian of a place or through the field of a telescope
b
: passage of a smaller body (such as Venus) across the disk of a larger (such as the sun)
3
: a theodolite with the telescope mounted so that it can be transited

transit

2 of 2

verb

transited; transiting; transits

intransitive verb

: to make a transit

transitive verb

1
a
: to pass over or through
b
: to cause to pass over or through
2
: to pass across (a meridian, a celestial body, or the field of view of a telescope)
3
: to turn (a telescope) over about the horizontal transverse axis in surveying

Example Sentences

Noun the problems of urban transit Verb once you transit that stretch of dense woods, the hiking should be much easier
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The semi truck eventually emerged (three years late), while the transit options died on the vine. Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 28 Feb. 2023 Dill said the state could instead use the revenue from tolls to improve the transportation system for low-income commuters — either by increasing transit services or by paying for direct subsidies. oregonlive, 11 Feb. 2023 Another good transit option is the Atlanta Streetcar, which runs between the Civil Rights Museum and the King Historic District. Jim Auchmutey, ajc, 16 Jan. 2023 Huntsville transit services will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday. al, 26 Dec. 2022 The same trends are affecting transit services nationwide, but Metro also is hampered by a train shortage that began in October 2021. Justin George, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2022 Cincinnati Metro will offer fare-free rides for all buses on Oct. 23 from noon to midnight, thanks to a partnership between the transit service, Miller Lite and its owner Molson Coors. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 22 Oct. 2022 Thursday's vote was only to authorize the ability of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1447, the representative of TARC union workers, to organize a strike against the transit service. Caleb Stultz, The Courier-Journal, 21 Oct. 2022 For as long as the Bay Area Rapid Transit system’s trains have screeched across the region, a feeling has lingered among its loyal and would-be riders that the transit service could be so much more. Ricardo Cano, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Sep. 2022
Verb
The sanctioned billionaires will have their assets frozen, and they won't be allowed to enter or transit through the EU. Alex Scimecca, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2022 Most of those cargoes go on to transit the Suez Canal, but some could end up in Turkey. Julian Lee, Bloomberg.com, 13 Feb. 2023 Otherwise, travelers have to transit the Lower 48 to visit Europe. Scott Mcmurren, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Feb. 2023 In recent months, vessels carrying fertilizers have been held up for weeks or denied permission to transit through large European ports, such as Rotterdam in the Netherlands, because of concerns over sanctions. Laurence Norman, WSJ, 16 Dec. 2022 No ships left Ukraine on Sunday, but officials from Turkey, Ukraine and the U.N. agreed on a plan for 14 vessels to transit the Black Sea on Monday, the U.N. said. Jared Malsin, WSJ, 30 Oct. 2022 Finding them will be a challenge, since most of them won’t transit. Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2019 Tugs in Mobile may be required to transit 30 miles or so down Mobile Bay to meet a ship coming in from the Gulf of Mexico. al, 21 Nov. 2022 To spiral in from beyond Neptune, however, the dust grains would have to transit past the gravity of the gas giants, where their orbits might become trapped or even ejected from the solar system. Theo Nicitopoulos, Discover Magazine, 17 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'transit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English transite, from Latin transitus, from transire to go across, pass

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of transit was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near transit

Cite this Entry

“Transit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transit. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

transit

1 of 2 noun
1
: an act, process, or example of passing through or over : passage
2
: the transporting of persons or things from one place to another
goods lost in transit
3
: local transportation of people in public vehicles
also : the vehicles or system used in such transportation
4
: a surveyor's instrument for measuring angles

transit

2 of 2 verb
: to pass or cause to pass over, through, or across

More from Merriam-Webster on transit

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