Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - visit

~1 v 1 to go and spend time in a place or with someone, especially for pleasure or interest  ("Do you live here?" "No, we're just visiting". | visit sth)  (We hope to visit the Grand Canyon on our trip. | visit sb)  (Aunt Jane usually visits us for two or three weeks in the spring.) + in/on/at/with AmE  (When you are visiting in Washington, be sure to see the Air and Space Museum.) 2 to go to see a doctor, lawyer etc in order to get treatment or advice 3 to go to a place in order to examine it officially  (The building inspector is visiting the new housing project.) 4 AmE to talk socially with someone  (While Mom visited with Phyllis we played in the yard.)  ( USAGE NOTE: VISIT WORD CHOICE visit, go to, go and see, have been to, come and see Visit is slightly formal. More often you would say you go to a place or go and see/go to see a place or a person. You might write We visited the Grand Canyon or I visited my mother but in spoken English you are more likely to say We went to the Grand Canyon or I went to see my mother. Note that you would also say I've been to Hong Kong several times and When you are in Tokyo you must come and see me. ) visit sth on sb/sth phr v especially biblical to do something to punish someone or show them that you are angry  (God's wrath will be visited on sinners.) ~2 n 1 an occasion when someone visits a place or person  (a visit to New York) on a visit  (We're just here on a short visit. | pay sb a visit)  (I must pay our new neighbors a visit. | have a visit from)  (I've just had a visit from the police. | flying visit (=a very short visit))  (We made a flying visit to my mother's to pick up the wedding presents.) 2 an occasion when you see a doctor, lawyer etc for treatment or advice  (pay a visit)  (I must pay a visitto the dentist. | home visit (=when a doctor comes to your home)) 3 AmE an occasion when you talk socially with someone, or the time you spend doing this  (Barbara and I had a nice long visit.)