chair
A seat for one person, usually with a back and four legs.
A piece of furniture designed for one person to sit on, typically having a back and four legs.
The job of leading a meeting or group.
The official position of leading or presiding over a meeting, committee, or organization.
To be in charge of a meeting or group.
To act as the leader or presiding officer of a meeting, committee, or organization.
The person who leads a department in a university or college.
The leadership position in an academic department at a university or college.
- Base: chair
- Plural: chairs
- Base: chair
- 3rd Person Singular: chairs
- Present Participle: chairing
- Past: chaired
electric chair
1Execution device by electrocution
A special seat used to kill someone with electricity as punishment for a crime.
- He was sentenced to die in the electric chair.
- The electric chair is no longer used in most states.
in the chair
1Currently leading a meeting/group
Leading or controlling a meeting or group right now.
- With Dr. Smith in the chair, the discussion stayed focused.
- Who will be in the chair during tomorrow’s debate?
take the chair
1Begin leading a meeting
To start being in charge of a meeting or group discussion.
- The vice president will take the chair until the president arrives.
- After lunch, she took the chair and resumed the session.
musical chairs
1game with fewer chairs than players
A game where people walk around chairs while music plays, then try to sit when it stops, but there are not enough chairs for everyone.
- The kids played musical chairs at the birthday party.
- Organizing the seating felt like a game of musical chairs.
musical chairs
2Game or frequent job changes
A game where you walk around chairs and sit when music stops; also means jobs or roles change often.
- We played musical chairs at the party.
- There’s been musical chairs in management lately.