chair

n. [ OE. chaiere, chaere, OF. chaiere, chaere, F. chaire pulpit, fr. L. cathedra chair, armchair, a teacher's or professor's chair, Gr. &unr_; down + &unr_; seat, &unr_; to sit, akin to E. sit. See Sit, and cf. Cathedral, chaise. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A movable single seat with a back. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An official seat, as of a chief magistrate or a judge, but esp. that of a professor; hence, the office itself. [ 1913 Webster ]

The chair of a philosophical school. Whewell. [ 1913 Webster ]

A chair of philology. M. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The presiding officer of an assembly; a chairman; as, to address the chair. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A vehicle for one person; either a sedan borne upon poles, or two-wheeled carriage, drawn by one horse; a gig. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Think what an equipage thou hast in air,
And view with scorn two pages and a chair. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. An iron block used on railways to support the rails and secure them to the sleepers. [ 1913 Webster ]

Chair days, days of repose and age. --
To put into the chair, to elect as president, or as chairman of a meeting. Macaulay. --
To take the chair, to assume the position of president, or of chairman of a meeting. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Chaired p. pr. & vb. n. Chairing. ] 1. To place in a chair. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To carry publicly in a chair in triumph. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To function as chairperson of (a meeting, committee, etc.); as, he chaired the meeting. [ PJC ]

n. a ski lift on which riders are seated.
Syn. -- chair lift. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n.; pl. Chairmen /plu>. 1. The presiding officer of a committee, or of a public or private meeting, or of any organized body. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One whose business it is to cary a chair or sedan. [ 1913 Webster ]

Breaks watchmen's heads and chairmen's glasses. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office of a chairman of a meeting or organized body. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the officer who presides at the meetings of an organization; -- same as chair{ 3 } or chairman{ 1 }, but used to achieve a sex-neutral register.
Syn. -- president, chairman, chairwoman, chair. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]