seat
[noun]
Synonyms:
- chair, bench, pew, settle, stall, stool
- centre, capital, heart, hub, place, site, situation, source
- residence, abode, ancestral hall, house, mansion
- membership, chair, constituency, incumbency, place
[verb]
Synonyms:
- sit, fix, install, locate, place, set, settle
- hold, accommodate, cater for, contain, sit, take

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Related Words: fulcrum, establish, place, put

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. seat¹ S2 W1 /siːt/ noun
[Word Family: noun: seat, seating; verb: seat ≠ unseat; adjective: seated]
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old Norse; Origin: sæti]

1. PLACE TO SIT [countable] a place where you can sit, especially one in a vehicle or one from which you watch a performance, sports event etc:
I was in the back seat and Jo was driving.
a 10,000-seat stadium
People were shifting in their seats, looking uncomfortable.

2. OFFICIAL POSITION [countable] a position as an elected member of a government, or as a member of a group that makes official decisions
seat in/on
a seat in the National Assembly
Promotion would mean a seat on the board of directors.
Parliamentary/Senate etc seat
the Senate seat for Colorado
win/gain/lose a seat (=at an election)
He predicts that his party will gain at least 12 seats.
hold a seat (=have a seat)
The Republicans hold 235 seats and the Democrats have 197.
keep/hold onto a seat
Mr Adams is expected to keep his seat.
Labour held onto the seat with a 7% majority.
safe seat British English:
one that a party will not lose
marginal seat British English:
one that another party might easily win

3. PART OF A CHAIR [countable usually singular] the flat part of a chair etc that you sit on:
Don’t put your feet on the seat!
a wooden toilet seat
a broken bicycle seat

4. baby/child/car seat a special seat that you put in a car for a baby or small child

5. seat of government/power formal a city where a country’s government is based

6. seat of learning formal a university, college etc

7. CLOTHES [singular] the part of your trousers that you sit on
seat of
a rip in the seat of his jeans

8. take a back seat (to somebody/something) to have less influence or importance:
Foreign policy will take a back seat to domestic problems for a while.

9. on the edge of your seat waiting excitedly to see what happens next:
a gripping movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat

10. do something by the seat of your pants to do something by using only your own skill and experience, without any help from anyone or anything else, especially when this is risky or dangerous

11. in the driving seat British English, in the driver’s seat American English controlling what happens in a situation, organization, or relationship:
We’re trying to put young people in the driving seat.

12. in the hot seat (also on the hot seat American English) informal in a difficult position where you have to make important decisions, answer questions etc

13. HOUSE [countable] a home of a rich important family in the countryside
family/country seat
⇒ back-seat driver at back seat(2), ⇒ window seat

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. seat² verb [transitive]
[Word Family: noun: seat, seating; verb: seat ≠ unseat; adjective: seated]

1. [not in progressive] if a place seats a number of people, it has enough seats for that number:
The arena seats 60,000.

2. formal seat yourself (in/on/beside etc something) to sit down somewhere:
She seated herself at her desk.

3. to arrange for someone to sit somewhere
seat somebody beside/near etc somebody/something
the old custom of seating boys and girls on opposite sides of the classroom ⇒ seated

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

seat
noun
I. for sitting on
ADJ. empty, spare, vacant There were no empty seats left in the hall. Do you have a spare seat in your car?
comfortable, comfy | cushioned | bicycle, car | back, front, rear I always feel sick if I sit in the back seat of the car.
driver's, driving, passenger | baby, child, safety | pillion I had a terrifying journey on the pillion seat of a Honda 750.
aisle, window I always ask for an aisle seat when I fly.
lavatory, toilet | good, ringside I got to the theatre early to get a good seat. We had ringside seats for the boxing match.
VERB + SEAT get, have, take Please take a seat. Is this seat taken?
book, reserve Is it possible to book seats for the play?
save Can you save me a seat if you get there first?
occupy, sit on The best seats were occupied by the friends and families of the performers. It is very uncomfortable to sit on these seats.
resume The audience resumed their seats for the second half of the play.
give up, vacate He gave up his seat on the bus to a pregnant woman.
lean back in, recline in, settle back in | settle into We had hardly settled into our seats when the first goal was scored.
get (up) out of | put back, recline
SEAT + NOUN cover | reservation
PREP. in a/the ~ The man in the passenger seat seemed to be asleep.
on a/the ~ I found my gloves lying on the back seat.
out of a/the ~ He leapt out of his seat when he saw the rat.
~ for I managed to get some seats for the ballet.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

seat
II. in Parliament, etc.
ADJ. congressional, parliamentary, Senate | marginal | safe | Labour, Tory, etc.
VERB + SEAT gain, win | lose He lost his seat in the last election.
keep, retain | regain | contest | resign
PREP. ~ in a seat in Parliament
~ on a seat on the local council

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

seat
verb
ADV. comfortably He seated himself comfortably at the foot of the bed. The car seats six comfortably.
PREP. at Ramirez was seated at a table near the window.
on She seated herself on the sofa.
PHRASES be seated Please be seated.
be seated cross-legged, remain/stay seated Please remain seated until your name is called.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

seat

free
Excuse me, is this seat free?
an empty/vacant seat
Patrick spotted an empty seat near the back.
the front/back/rear seat (=in a car)
Never leave bags on the back seat of a car.
the driver's seat
He climbed into the driver's seat.
the passenger seat
The cop in the passenger seat spun around to stare at him.
a window/aisle seat (=one next to the window or the space between seats, for example in a plane)
I'd prefer a window seat, please.
a front-row seat (=one at the front of a theatre, sports ground etc)
We had front-row seats.
a ringside seat (=one in the front row at a sports event, especially a boxing match)
We managed to get ringside seats, so we had a great view of the fight.
a good seat (=one from which you can see well)
I managed to get a fairly good seat, near the front.
have a seat
We had really good seats, just in front of the stage.
have/take a seat (=sit down)
Take a seat, please.
book/reserve a seat
You can book seats online.
show somebody to their seat
A flight attendant showed them to their seats.
go back to/return to your seat
The audience clapped as he returned to his seat.
resume your seat formal (=sit down again)
We resumed our seats for the second half of the play.
save somebody a seat (=tell other people not to sit there)
I'll save you a seat next to me.
bums on seats British English informal (=used for saying that something or someone can attract a large audience)
He is an actor who will put bums on seats.
have/hold a seat
The Liberals now hold 292 seats in Parliament.
win a seat
The following year he won a seat on the local council.
gain a seat (also take a seat from somebody) (=win a seat from another party)
At the next election the Republicans gained 12 seats in the Senate.
Labour took over fifty seats from the Conservatives.
lose a seat
She lost her seat at the last election.
keep/hold onto a seat (also retain a seat formal) (=not lose it in an election)
He is unlikely to retain his seat after next year's election.
Labour managed to hold the seat, but with a reduced majority.
contest a seat (also run for a seat) (=try to win it)
Twenty-four candidates contested the five seats.
He ran for the seat as a Republican.
a parliamentary seat
He and his followers won 10 of the state's 13 parliamentary seats in last month's general election.
a Senate seat
a congressional seat
a Labour/Republican etc seat (=one that a particular party usually wins)
Middlesbrough is one of the safest Labour seats in the country.
a safe seat British English (=one that a party is unlikely to lose)
Maidstone is considered a safe seat for the Conservatives.
a marginal seat British English (=one that a party might easily lose)
The party also successfully targeted marginal seats in key areas.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

seat
verb
BAD: Let's go and seat out in the garden.
GOOD: Let's go and sit out in the garden.

Usage Note:
seat /si:t/ is a noun: 'You should book your seat two weeks in advance.'
sit /sIt/ is a verb: 'My legs were aching but there was nowhere to sit.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

seat
si:t
See: back seat driver , fly by the seat of one's pants , hot seat , judgment seat , take a back seat

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲