chair
[verb]
Synonyms: preside

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. chair¹ S1 W2 /tʃeə $ tʃer/ noun
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: chaiere, from Latin cathedra, from Greek, from kata- ( ⇒ cataclysm) + hedra 'seat']

1. [countable] a piece of furniture for one person to sit on, which has a back, a seat, and four legs:
a kitchen chair
They bought a new table and chairs.
One of the chair legs was broken.
on/in a chair
She was sitting on a wooden chair.
He sat back in his chair.

2. [singular] the position of being in charge of a meeting or committee, or the person who is in charge of it:
Address your questions to the chair, please.
be in the chair
Who will be in the chair at tomorrow’s meeting?
chair of
He was nominated as chair of the board of governors.

3. [countable] the position of being a university professor
chair of
a new Chair of Medicine

4. the chair American English informal the electric chair

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. chair² verb [transitive]
to be the chairperson of a meeting or committee:
The inquiry was chaired by a judge.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

chair
noun
I. piece of furniture
ADJ. comfortable, comfy, cushioned, padded, plush, soft, upholstered | hard, uncomfortable | deep, low | high-backed, straight-backed, wing-backed, winged | rush-seated, tubular | rickety | reclining, swivel He lay back in the reclining chair and went to sleep. She returned to the swivel chair behind her desk.
folding | matching a dining table and four matching chairs
empty ‘Please, be my guest.’ He gestured towards an empty chair.
antique | mahogany, plastic, steel, wooden | dining, fireside, kitchen
QUANT. row | set a set of antique mahogany dining chairs
VERB + CHAIR draw up, pull up ‘Can I join you?’‘Yes, pull up a chair.’
pull out He pulled out a chair for her.
have, take Come in and take a chair.
give sb He gave her his chair.
push back He pushed back his chair and got to his feet.
collapse into/onto, flop (back/down) in/into/on/onto, lower yourself into, settle (back) in/into/on, sink (back/down) into, slump (back/down) in/into, sit (down) in/on She dropped her bags and flopped down into the nearest chair.
lean back in, lie back in, lounge (back) in, recline (back) in, relax (back) in, sprawl/be sprawled in He put his feet up on the desk and lay back in his chair.
lean forward in | straighten (up) in They straightened in their chairs when the manager burst in.
get out of, get up from/off, jump (up) from/out of, leap out of/from, rise from He got up from his chair to address the meeting.
rock backwards and forwards in/on, shift (about) in, tip back He was shifting about uneasily in his chair. She tipped her chair back and fixed her gaze full upon him.
swivel (on), swivel (round) in She swivelled round in her chair and picked up the phone.
CHAIR + VERB be placed, stand A chair stood facing the window.
swivel | fall over, tip up, topple over | creak The chair creaked every time I moved.
CHAIR + NOUN arm, back, leg, seat | cover, frame | lift A chair lift carried us to the top of the ski run.
PREP. into a/the ~ He sank into his chair and opened the letter.
in a/the ~ She leaned back in her chair and lit a cigarette.
on a/the ~ A cat was asleep on the chair.
PHRASES the arm/back/edge/leg of a chair She gripped the arm of her chair as she spoke. He sat nervously on the edge of his chair.
 ⇒ See ARMCHAIR

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

chair
II. person controlling a meeting
ADJ. acting, deputy
VERB + CHAIR occupy, take Anne took the chair (= was chairperson) in Carol's absence.
address (sth to) Please address your questions to the chair.
appoint sb (as), elect sb (as)
PREP. in the ~ Paul Ryan was in the chair (= was chairman) at today's meeting.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

chair
III. position of university professor
ADJ. professorial
VERB + CHAIR hold, occupy He held the Chair of Botany at Cambridge University for thirty years.
appoint sb to | relinquish, resign | endow, establish A private benefactor endowed the new Chair of Japanese Literature.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

chair

sit in/on a chair
She sat in her favourite chair.
pull/draw up a chair (=move a chair nearer someone or something)
Pull up a chair and look at these pictures.
take a chair (=sit down in one in a particular place)
Brian took a chair beside his wife.
lean back in your chair
He leant back in his chair and took out his pipe.
sink/slump/flop into a chair (=sit down in one in a tired or unhappy way)
Greg groaned and sank into his chair.
collapse in/into a chair (=sit down suddenly because you are very tired or upset)
Eileen collapsed into a chair and burst out crying.
get up from your chair (also rise from your chair formal)
He got up from his chair and walked to the window.
jump up from your chair (=get up quickly)
‘Look at the time!’ she cried, jumping up from her chair.
push back your chair (=in order to get up)
He pushed back his chair and stood up.
lounge in a chair (=sit in one in a very relaxed way)
Everyone was outside, lounging in chairs in the sun.
a comfortable chair (also a comfy chair informal)
The hotel had a TV room with some nice comfy chairs.
a hard chair (=not comfortable)
I sat on a hard chair in the corridor and waited.
an empty chair (=with no one using it)
She came and sat in an empty chair beside me.
a wooden/plastic/leather etc chair
In the kitchen was a table with six wooden chairs around it.
a folding chair (=one which you can fold so it is flat)
People were sitting on blankets or folding chairs, listening to the outdoor concert.
a chair leg/arm/back/seat
The chair leg has broken.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

chair
noun
1.
BAD: During the flight she sat on the chair behind me.
GOOD: During the flight she sat in the seat behind me.

Usage Note:
seat = a place to sit, as found in a cinema, train, bus etc: 'To be on the safe side, you'd better reserve a seat.'
chair = a movable seat for one person: 'Before the children go home, they have to put all the chairs on top of the desks.'

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2.
See ARMCHAIR (armchair)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

chair
tʃɛə
See: musical chairs

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲