chair

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English [edit]

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Etymology [edit]

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A chair (item of furniture).

From Middle French chaire, from Latin cathēdra (“seat”), from Ancient Greek καθέδρα (kathedra), from κατά (kata, “down”) + ἕδρα (hedra, “seat”). Replaced native stool which now has a specific sense.

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

chair (plural chairs)

  1. An item of furniture used to sit on or in comprising a seat, legs, back, and sometimes arm rests, for use by one person. Compare stool, couch, sofa, settee, loveseat and bench.
    All I need to weather a snowstorm is hot coffee, a warm fire, a good book and a comfortable chair.
  2. Chairperson.
    • 1658-9 March 23, Thomas Burton, Diary:
      The Chair behaves himself like a Busby amongst so many school-boys..and takes a little too much on him.
    • 1887 September 5, The Times:
      It can hardly be conceived that the Chair would fail to gain the support of the House.
    Under the rules of order adopted by the board, the chair may neither make nor second motions.
  3. (music) The seating position of a particular musician in an orchestra.
    My violin teacher used to play first chair with the Boston Pops.
  4. (rail transport) Blocks that support and hold railroad track in position, and similar devices.
  5. (chemistry) One of two possible conformers of cyclohexane rings (the other being boat), shaped roughly like a chair.
  6. (slang, with the) The electric chair.
    He killed a cop: he's going to get the chair.
    The court will show no mercy; if he gets convicted, it's the chair for him.
  7. A professorship at a university

Derived terms [edit]

Terms derived from "chair"

Translations [edit]

furniture
chairperson
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Translations to be checked

Verb [edit]

chair (third-person singular simple present chairs, present participle chairing, simple past and past participle chaired)

  1. To act as chairperson.
    Bob will chair tomorrow's meeting.
  2. To carry someone in a seated position upon one's shoulders, especially in celebration or victory
    • 1896, A. E. Houseman, "To An Athlete Dying Young," in A Shropshire Lad,
      The time you won your town the race
      We chaired you through the marketplace.
  3. (Wales, UK) To award a chair to the winning poet at a Welsh eisteddfod.
    The poet was chaired at the national Eisteddfod.

Translations [edit]

to act as chairperson

Statistics [edit]

Anagrams [edit]

French [edit]

Etymology [edit]

Middle French < Old French char (earlier carn) < Latin carō, specifically from its accusative carnem.

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

chair f (plural chairs)

  1. flesh

Old French [edit]

Alternative forms [edit]

Etymology [edit]

Latin cadere, present active infinitive of cado.

Verb [edit]

chair

  1. to fall

Descendants [edit]

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