ENGLISH
REFERENCE

chair

n. countable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈtʃɛɹ// UK //tʃˈeə// chair General-service Informal Slang

n. a piece of furniture with a back and four legs that one person sits on.

n. a separate seat for one person, typically having four legs and a back. When used in an organizational context, it refers to the person in charge of a meeting or committee.


SIMPLE

Please sit down in that comfortable chair.

CONTEXTUAL

The teacher asked the students to pull their chairs into a circle for the group discussion.

COMPLEX

The orchestra's first chair violinist is responsible for leading the section and performing any solo passages required by the score.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English chayer, chaire, chaiere, chaere, chayre, chayere, 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.

Usage

In formal meetings, the noun can refer to the position of authority; in this sense, it is often used with the definite article ('the chair').

Idioms2 entries

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