chair

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A piece of furniture for one person to sit on, with a back and usually four legs.

   She pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

2. 2
   noun

   The person in charge of a meeting or organization.

   Please address your questions to the chair.

3. 3
   verb

   To be in charge of a meeting or committee.

   She chaired the committee for many years.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Chair ultimately comes from Latin cathedra “seat, throne.” The same Latin source produced cathedral, originally used of a church containing a bishop’s official seat.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Indo-European *ḱm̥-th₂der.? Proto-Hellenic *kətá Ancient Greek κᾰτᾰ́ (kătắ) Proto-Indo-European *sed-der. Proto-Indo-European *sedreh₂ Proto-Hellenic *hédrā Ancient Greek ἕδρᾱ (hédrā) Ancient Greek κᾰθέδρᾱ (kăthédrā)bor. Latin cathedrader. Old French chaierebor. Middle English chayere English chair From Middle English chayere, chayer, chayre, from Old French chaiere, chaere, from Latin cathedra (“seat”), from Ancient Greek καθέδρα (kathédra), from κατά (katá, “down”) + ἕδρα (hédra, “seat”). Partially displaced native stool a…

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External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary