visitor

The word "visitor" refers mainly to a person who goes to see someone or goes to a place for a limited time. In everyday English, it often describes a guest at someone's home, someone coming to a hospital or office, or a person spending time at a museum, park, or city. The common idea is that the person is not a regular member of that place and is only there for a while.

The meaning shifts a little with context. In a social setting, a visitor may be a friend, neighbor, or family member who comes by for a chat. In public places, the word often means someone who comes to look around, learn, or enjoy the place, as in "The museum welcomes many visitors each year." In travel and tourism, it can describe people who come to a town, region, or country for a short stay.

The word can also be used in a broader way. People speak of website visitors when they mean people who come to a webpage. In nature writing, a bird or animal may be called a seasonal visitor if it appears in an area only at certain times of year. Sometimes the tone changes too: a visitor may be welcome, expected, unexpected, or unwelcome. In every case, the central meaning stays much the same: someone or something has come into a place for a time, rather than belonging there permanently.