chair
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: châr
ipa: /t͡ʃɛə/
ipa: /t͡ʃɛː/
ipa: /t͡ʃeɹ/
note: Lancashire, fair–fur merger
ipa: /t͡ʃɜː(ɹ)/
ipa: /t͡ʃɛɚ/
ipa: /t͡ʃɪəɹ/
ipa: [t͡ʃeːɹ]
ipa: [t͡ʃɛːɹ]
ipa: /t͡ʃeː/
note: without the cheer–chair merger
ipa: /t͡ʃeə/
note: New Zealand, cheer–chair merger
ipa: /t͡ʃiə/
note: Indic, rhotic
ipa: /t͡ʃejɾ/
note: pane–pain merger
ipa: /t͡ʃeːɾ/
note: Indic, non-rhotic
ipa: /t͡ʃeja/
note: pane–pain merger
ipa: /t͡ʃæː/
homophone: chare (pane–pain merger)
homophone: cheer (cheer–chair merger)
Forms: form: chairs
form: chur
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.
Senses: examples: text: All I need to weather a snowstorm is hot coffee, a warm fire, a good book and a comfortable chair.
text: I sat on my chair to have dinner.
text: There were many wooden chairs for the bulk of his visitors, and two wicker armchairs with red cloth cushions for superior people. From the packing-cases had emerged some Indian clubs,[…], and all these articles[…] made a scattered and untidy decoration that Mrs. Clough assiduously dusted and greatly cherished.
ref: 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
text: 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.
ref: 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
glosses: 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.
examples: text: Under the rules of order adopted by the board, the chair may neither make nor second motions.
text: The Chair behaves himself like a Busby amongst so many school-boys[…]and takes a little too much on him.
ref: , Thomas Burton, edited by John Towill Rutt, Diary, London: Henry Colburn, published 1828, page 243:
text: It can hardly be conceived that the Chair would fail to gain the support of the House.
ref: 1887 September 5, The Times:
text: 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.
ref: 1950 March, Michael Robbins, “Dr. Lardner's "Railway Economy"”, in Railway Magazine, page 153:
text: 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."
ref: 2020 June 3, Lilian Greenwood talks to Paul Stephen, “Rail's 'underlying challenges' remain”, in Rail, page 34:
qualifier: also written Chair
glosses: Clipping of chairperson.
examples: text: The meeting began, with Mr Roberts in the chair.
glosses: The post or position of chairperson.
examples: text: My violin teacher used to play first chair with the Boston Pops.
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
glosses: The seating position of a particular musician in an orchestra.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1934 February, “The Why and The Wherefore: Chair-keys”, in Railway Magazine, page 139:
topics: rail-transport
railways
transport
glosses: A cast-iron component used on railways to support bullhead rails and secure them to the sleepers.
topics: chemistry
natural-sciences
organic-chemistry
physical-sciences
glosses: One of two possible conformers of cyclohexane rings (the other being boat), shaped roughly like a chair.
examples: text: The court will show no mercy; if he gets convicted, it's the chair for him.
text: "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."
ref: 1920 June 23, The Electrical Experimenter, New York, page 216, column 2:
text: 'All for a pig of a man who should have gone to the chair.'
ref: 1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 8, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 251:
text: Believe it or not, it only looked like I was trying to send you to the chair.
ref: 1949, Isobel Lennart, Holiday Affair, spoken by Carl Davis (Wendell Corey):
text: "Scoleri Brothers!" "Friends of yours?" "I tried them for murder! Gave them the chair!"
ref: 1989 June 16, Ivan Reitman, director, Ghostbusters II:
text: I hope you die in prison as well — and if this was a death penalty state you'd be getting the chair.
ref: 2014 April 18, John McBain, as quoted, “Judge Lashes Out At Convicted Murderer”, in Sky News:
glosses: Ellipsis of electric chair (“device used for performing execution”).
raw_tags: with the
examples: text: In 1928 [Martin] Heidegger succeeded [Edmund] Husserl to take a chair at Freiburg […]
ref: 2014 April 12, Michael Inwood, “Martin Heidegger: the philosopher who fell for Hitler [print version: Hitler's philosopher]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), London, page R11:
topics: education
glosses: A distinguished professorship at a university.
examples: text: Enter Mortimer, brought in a Chayre, and Iaylors.
ref: 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v], page 104, column 2:
text: She always leaves her Chair at the milliner's in the next Street.
ref: 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, IV.iii:
text: Think what an equipage thou haſt in air,
 And view with ſcorn two pages and a chair.
ref: 1712, Alexander Pope, “The Rape of the Lock”, in The Beauties of Pope, London: G. Kearsley, published 1783, page 32:
text: The chairs came at the appointed hour, and Ethel could not but be amused at the glimpses she had of the park along which they were carried; although haunted by misgivings as to the judiciousness of their destination. They were set down in a hall of large dimensions, hung round with portraits, and filled with servants, who had more the air of guards.
ref: 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “An Interview”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 211:
glosses: A vehicle for one person; either a sedan borne upon poles, or a two-wheeled carriage drawn by one horse; a gig.
glosses: The seat or office of a person in authority, such as a judge or bishop.
examples: text: Melinda has the best chair in the salon.
glosses: An assigned position in a beauty salon or barbershop.
Derived terms: Adirondack chair
almost fall of one's chair
armchair
arm-chair
banana chair
barber chair
barber-chair
Barcelona chair
bar chair
basket chair
bath chair
Bath chair
beach chair
bedchair
birth chair
birthing chair
boatswain's chair
booster chair
bosun's chair
bowl chair
butterfly chair
camping chair
cantilever chair
Cape Cod chair
chairback
chair bed
chairborne
chairbound
chair conformation
chaircover
chair days
chairdrobe
chairfast
chairfolk
chairful
chairholder
chairhood
chairlady
chairless
chair-lift
chair lift
chairlift
chairlike
chairmaker
chairmaking
chairman
chair mat
chairness
chairobics
chairoplane
chair organ
chairperson
chair plug
chair rail
chair seat
chair seater
chairship
chairside
chair time
chair umpire
chair up
chairward
chairwarmer
chairwise
chairwoman
chairwork
club chair
cochair
co-chair
confessional chair
cricket chair
Cromwellian chair
cuck chair
deck chair
deck-chair
desk chair
dining chair
Eames chair
ear chair
easy chair
easy-chair
elbow chair
elbow-chair
electric chair
Elijah chair
empty chair
endowed chair
fall off one's chair
farthingale chair
feeding chair
fighting chair
fireman's chair knot
first chair
flag chair
folding chair
fountain chair
French chair
Gainsborough chair
game chair
gaming chair
geriatric chair
geri chair
gestatorial chair
give someone the chair
Glastonbury chair
grandfather chair
grandfather's chair
guest chair
half-chair
headchair
highchair
high chair
hot chair
hoverchair
ice cream chair
ice-cream chair
invalid chair
Judas chair
kneeling chair
lady's chair
Laurentian chair
lawn chair
lounge chair
Martha Washington chair
massage chair
Mendlesham chair
mercy chair
Merlin chair
monk chair
monk's chair
Morris chair
musical chairs
Muskoka chair
nearly fall off one's chair
night chair
nursing chair
office chair
papasan chair
patio chair
peacock chair
planter's chair
pool chair
potty chair
powerchair
pull up a chair
pushchair
reception chair
revolving chair
rocking chair
rocking-chair
rocking-chair money
rocking chair money
rolling chair
Roman chair
rotating chair
rout chair
Savonarola chair
sedan chair
semi-easy chair
shower chair
side chair
sledge chair
slipper chair
smoker's chair
socialism of the chair
socialist of the chair
soda fountain chair
spectator chair
stairchair
steamer chair
stepchair
step chair
sunchair
swivel chair
swivel-chair
take a chair
take the chair
tiger chair
tramp chair
tub chair
vice-chair
vice chair
walking chair
wheelchair
Windsor chair
wingback chair
wing chair
X-chair
Related terms: topics: furniture
lifestyle
word: stool
topics: furniture
lifestyle
word: couch
topics: furniture
lifestyle
word: sofa
topics: furniture
lifestyle
word: settee
topics: furniture
lifestyle
word: loveseat
topics: furniture
lifestyle
word: bench