chair

Etymology

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”). Displaced native stool and settle, which now have more specialised senses. Doublet of cathedra and chaise.

noun

1. An item of furniture used to sit on or in, comprising a seat, legs or wheels, 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.
   Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess
2. (often with definite article, also written Chair) Clipping of chairperson.
   Under the rules of order adopted by the board, the chair may neither make nor second motions.
   The Chair behaves himself like a Busby amongst so many school-boys[…]and takes a little too much on him. March 23, 1658-9, Thomas Burton, edited by John Towill Rutt, Diary, London: Henry Colburn, published 1828, page 243
   It can hardly be conceived that the Chair would fail to gain the support of the House. September 5, 1887, The Times
   He was elected to the chair of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy in 1827 at the newly-founded London University, and became prominent in railway controversies in the 'thirties, when he came off second best in a dispute with Daniel Gooch about the effects of speed on the human frame. 1950 March, Michael Robbins, “Dr. Lardner's "Railway Economy"”, in Railway Magazine, page 153
   She adds: "I'd also like to think that as chair I was friendly but firm. I wanted to encourage people to give evidence, while there are others who need to be coaxed, held to account and asked tough questions." June 3 2020, Lilian Greenwood talks to Paul Stephen, “Rail's 'underlying challenges' remain”, in Rail, page 34
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) An iron block used on railways to support the rails and secure them to the sleepers, and similar devices.
   The wooden or steel keys used to secure bull-head rails in their chairs are usually driven in the direction of the traffic, so that the effects of rail-creep may be made use of to wedge the keys more firmly, rather than to encourage them to drop out. 1934 February, “The Why and The Wherefore: Chair-keys”, in Railway Magazine, page 139
5. (chemistry) One of two possible conformers of cyclohexane rings (the other being boat), shaped roughly like a chair.
6. (informal, with the) Ellipsis of electric chair (“device used for performing execution”).
   The court will show no mercy; if he gets convicted, it's the chair for him.
   "It was me. And I'm glad, damned glad, I didn't croak him. With this slick guy after me, it would be me for the chair." June 1920, The Electrical Experimenter, New York, page 216, column 2
   'All for a pig of a man who should have gone to the chair.' 1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 8, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 251
   Believe it or not, it only looked like I was trying to send you to the chair. 1949, Isobel Lennart, Holiday Affair, spoken by Carl Davis (Wendell Corey)
7. (education) A distinguished professorship at a university.
   In 1928 [Martin] Heidegger succeeded [Edmund] Husserl to take a chair at Freiburg […] 12 April 2014, Michael Inwood, “Martin Heidegger: the philosopher who fell for Hitler [print version: Hitler's philosopher]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), London, page R11
8. A vehicle for one person; either a sedan borne upon poles, or a two-wheeled carriage drawn by one horse; a gig.
   She always leaves her Chair at the milliner's in the next Street. 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, IV.iii
   Think what an equipage thou haſt in air, And view with ſcorn two pages and a chair. 1712, Alexander Pope, “The Rape of the Lock”, in The Beauties of Pope, London: G. Kearsley, published 1783, page 32
9. The seat or office of a person in authority, such as a judge or bishop.

verb

1. (transitive) To act as chairperson at; to preside over.
   Bob will chair tomorrow's meeting.
   Greenwood told RAIL she was disappointed that Parliamentary rules prevented her from chairing the TSC [Transport Select Committee] beyond last December's General Election, … She added: "I'm gutted I'm no longer able to chair the committee, I'm not going to lie. But I know it's in good hands and I'm still able to play my part as a member in the work we're doing. May 20 2020, “Merriman praised over handling of TSC's 'virtual' transition”, in Rail, page 12
2. (transitive) To carry in a seated position upon one's shoulders, especially in celebration or victory.
   The time you won your town the race We chaired you through the marketplace. 1896, A. E. Houseman, “To An Athlete Dying Young,”, in A Shropshire Lad
3. (transitive, Wales, UK) To award a chair to (a winning poet) at a Welsh eisteddfod.
   The poet was chaired at the national Eisteddfod.