chair

chair — noun

1. something to sit on that has a support at the back for leaning against and four

1.nounA1
Definition

something to sit on that has a support at the back for leaning against and four legs, built for just one person to use

Example

The old wooden chair creaked loudly when Ravi sat down after dinner.

collocation: wooden chair

Aiko pulled up a chair and joined everyone at the kitchen table.

phrasal verb: pull up a chair

Common collocations
  • wooden chair
  • dining chair
  • plastic chair
  • comfortable chair
  • armchair
  • rocking chair
  • pull up a chair
  • sit on a chair
  • push in a chair
  • take a chair
Synonyms
  • seat

    more general term for anything you sit on, including benches, stools, or sofas

  • stool

    a seat without a back or arms

  • armchair

    a soft chair with side supports for the arms

Grammar Patterns

countable noun

Common Mistakes

I sat on chair and watched TV.
I sat on a chair and watched TV.
'chair' is a countable noun and needs an article (a, the) or determiner (my, this).

2. a device used by some governments to carry out a death sentence by sending a ver

2.noun
Definition

a device used by some governments to carry out a death sentence by sending a very strong flow of electricity through a person's body, or the use of this device as punishment

Example

The state of Georgia last used the electric chair to execute a prisoner in 2010.

collocation: the electric chair

Farouk read a book about a death-row inmate who waited eleven years for the chair.

informal: the chair

Common collocations
  • the electric chair
  • sentenced to the chair
  • the chair (informal)
  • die in the chair
Synonyms
  • electric chair

    the full, formal name for this device; 'chair' is the shortened, informal version

Grammar Patterns

the + noun

Usage Note

Informal shortening of 'electric chair.' Almost always used with the definite article ('the chair'). More common in American English than British English.

3. the person who leads and directs a formal gathering, committee, or official grou

3.nounB1
Definition

the person who leads and directs a formal gathering, committee, or official group, or the role that this person holds

Example

The chair called the committee meeting to order at exactly nine o'clock.

collocation: chair calls a meeting

Dr. Okafor has served as board chair for the local hospital since 2019.

collocation: board chair

Common collocations
  • chair of the committee
  • board chair
  • serve as chair
  • chair calls a meeting
  • take the chair
  • elect a chair
Synonyms
  • chairperson

    gender-neutral term for the same role, increasingly preferred in formal contexts

  • chairman

    traditional term, implies a male holder of the position

  • chairwoman

    term used specifically for a female holder of the position

  • president

    used for the head of a larger organization or country, carrying more authority

Grammar Patterns

the + noun + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'of' followed by the group name (chair of the committee). Can refer either to the position itself or the person holding it. Increasingly replaced by 'chairperson' in official titles to avoid gender assumptions.

Common Mistakes

The president chaired the country for eight years.
The president chaired the meeting for three hours.
'chair' as a verb only applies to meetings, committees, or boards, not to countries or large institutions.

4. the person who leads an academic unit such as a department at a school of higher

4.nounB2
Definition

the person who leads an academic unit such as a department at a school of higher education, or the role itself

Example

Professor Tomás was appointed chair of the Physics Department last spring.

collocation: chair of the [Department]

The department chair approved the new course on climate science for next term.

collocation: department chair

Common collocations
  • department chair
  • chair of the department
  • appointed chair
  • acting chair
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

the + noun + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Restricted to academic contexts. Equivalent to 'head of department' at many universities. Not used for non-academic departments within companies or government agencies.

5. a senior academic position at a university, especially one that has been named a

5.nounC1
Definition

a senior academic position at a university, especially one that has been named after a person or funded by an organization

Example

Yara was offered a chair in medieval literature at the University of Bologna.

grammar: chair in [subject]

The university created a new chair in artificial intelligence for the engineering school.

collocation: create a chair

Common collocations
  • endowed chair
  • hold a chair
  • offered a chair
  • chair in [subject]
  • named chair
  • vacant chair
Synonyms
  • professorship

    more general term for any university teaching position at senior level

  • endowed chair

    a professorship funded by a dedicated financial donation

Grammar Patterns

a + noun + in + subject

Usage Note

Often modified by an adjective naming the type of position (endowed chair, named chair, research chair). The phrase 'chair in [subject]' specifies the academic field. Distinguished from sense 4 by focusing on the professorial rank rather than the administrative role.

6. the specific seat or position that a musician holds within an orchestra, which s

6.nounC1
Definition

the specific seat or position that a musician holds within an orchestra, which shows their rank and role in the group

Example

First-chair violinist Mei played the solo with remarkable skill at the concert.

collocation: first chair

The orchestra's principal cellist has held that chair for over twelve years.

collocation: hold a chair

Common collocations
  • first chair
  • second chair
  • hold a chair
  • principal chair
  • win a chair
Synonyms
  • seat

    more general term; 'chair' is the specialized orchestral term for position or rank

Grammar Patterns

ordinal + noun

Usage Note

Always used with an ordinal number or the word 'principal' (first chair, second chair, principal chair). Refers to the player's rank within their instrument section — first chair is the section leader.

Common Mistakes

She plays first chair of the orchestra.
She is the first-chair violinist in the orchestra.
'chair' is not used with 'play'; the correct phrase pairs the rank with the instrument name.

chair — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe something you sit on, but they differ in shape and use. A 'seat' is the most general term — it can refer to any place to sit, from a bus seat to a theatre seat. A 'chair' is a specific type of seat with a back, designed for one person, such as a dining chair or desk chair. A 'stool' has no back or arms — you sit on a bar stool or a piano stool. A 'bench' is a long seat for two or more people, often found in parks or school changing rooms. An 'armchair' is a soft, padded chair with side supports for the arms, usually found in living rooms. For example: 'All the seats on the train were taken, so Ravi stood.' vs. 'Hana pulled up a wooden chair to the desk.' vs. 'The children sat on a bench in the park.'

seat ↗stoolbench ↗armchair ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • take a chair
  • hold a chair
  • serve as chair

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'chair' entered English around the 13th century from Old French 'chaiere' (a seat, chair). This came from Latin 'cathedra' (a seat for a teacher or judge), which was borrowed from Greek 'kathedra' (a seat, literally 'down-sitting'). The sense of a person who presides over a meeting developed in the 1600s, using the chair itself as a symbol of the leader's authority. The verb meaning 'to preside' followed in the 1800s.