/ tʃeə(r); NAmE tʃer/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C ] a piece of furniture for one person to sit on, with a back, a seat and four legs :
a table and chairs
Sit on your chair!
an old man asleep in a chair (= an armchair )
—see also armchair , deckchair , easy chair , high chair , musical chairs , rocking chair , wheelchair
2.
the chair [ sing. ] the position of being in charge of a meeting or committee; the person who holds this position :
She takes the chair in all our meetings.
Who is in the chair today?
He was elected chair of the city council.
3.
[ C ] the position of being in charge of a department in a university :
He holds the chair of philosophy at Oxford.
4.
the chair [ sing. ] ( US , informal ) = the electric chair
■ verb
[ vn ] to act as the chairman or chairwoman of a meeting, discussion, etc. :
Who's chairing the meeting?
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French chaiere (modern chaire bishop's throne, etc., chaise chair), from Latin cathedra seat, from Greek kathedra . Compare with cathedral .