chair
UK /t͡ʃɛə/ · US /t͡ʃɛɚ/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms chairs chairing chaired chur
- noun An item of furniture used to sit on or in, comprising a seat, legs or wheels, back, and sometimes arm rests, for use by one person. “All I need to weather a snowstorm is hot coffee, a warm fire, a good book and a comfortable chair.”
- noun (usually with definite article) The post or position of chairperson. “The meeting began, with Mr Roberts in the chair.”
- noun (music) The seating position of a particular musician in an orchestra. “My violin teacher used to play first chair with the Boston Pops.”
- noun (rail transport) A cast-iron component used on railways to support bullhead rails and secure them to the sleepers.
- noun (organic chemistry, physical chemistry) One of two possible conformers of cyclohexane rings (the other being boat), shaped roughly like a chair.
- noun (education) A distinguished professorship at a university.
- noun A vehicle for one person; either a sedan borne upon poles, or a two-wheeled carriage drawn by one horse; a gig.
- noun The seat or office of a person in authority, such as a judge or bishop.
- verb (transitive) To act as chairperson at; to preside over. “Bob will chair tomorrow's meeting.”
- verb (transitive) To carry in a seated position upon one's shoulders, especially in celebration or victory.
- verb (transitive, Wales, UK) To award a chair to (a winning poet) at a Welsh eisteddfod. “The poet was chaired at the national Eisteddfod.”
- proper noun (often with definite article) Chairperson. “Please address all questions through the Chair.”
- proper noun (fandom slang) The ship of characters Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf of the Gossip Girl series.
Synonyms
professorship president chairman chairwoman chairperson electric chair death chair hot seat moderate lead
Etymology
From Middle English chayere, chayer, chayre, from Old French chaiere, chaere, from Latin cathedra (“seat”), from Ancient Greek καθέδρα (kathédra), from κατά (katá, “down”) + ἕδρα (hédra, “seat”). Partially displaced native stool and settle, which now have more specialised senses. Doublet of cathedra and chaise.
Blend of Chuck + Blair.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A movable single seat with a back.
- noun An official seat, as of a chief magistrate or a judge, but esp. that of a professor; hence, the office itself.
- verb To place in a chair.
- verb To carry publicly in a chair in triumph. [Eng.]
Etymology [OE. chaiere, chaere, OF. chaiere, chaere, F. chaire pulpit, fr. L. cathedra chair, armchair, a teacher's or professor's chair, Gr. sit. See Sit, and cf. Cathedral, chaise.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “chair”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details