seat

seat1 [ sit ] noun ***

▸ 1 something you can sit on

▸ 2 place on committee etc.

▸ 3 main place/building

▸ 4 clothing covering bottom

▸ 5 position on horse

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) count something you can sit on:

Some of the vans have leather seats.

The seat next to me was empty.

He was in the back seat of the car when the accident happened.

passenger seat (=the seat next to the driver of a vehicle): She put her purse on the passenger seat and started the car.

window seat (=a seat next to a window on an airplane, bus, or train): He had to squeeze past another passenger to get to the window seat.

a ) a seat as a passenger on an airplane, bus, etc. or as a member of the audience in a theater, which you pay for in order to use:

I managed to get us the best seats in the theater.

We tried to get on the Friday flight, but there were no seats left.

b ) count usually singular the part of a chair that you sit on:

The broken seat of the chair was replaced.

2. ) count a position as a member of a legislature, committee, court, etc.:

seat in: How many seats in Congress did the Democrats win?

seat on: a seat on the New York Stock Exchange

3. ) count usually singular the place where an organization has its main building, or where an important activity happens:

seat of: The Hague is the seat of the Dutch Government.

She spoke at Oxford, that ancient seat of learning.

a ) a large house in the countryside that belongs to an important family:

The Duke's family seat is open to the public.

4. ) count usually singular the part of a piece of clothing that covers your bottom:

Sandy stood up and dusted off the seat of his shorts.

5. ) singular the position in which someone sits on a horse

(flying) by the seat of your pants

using only your judgment and skill, when you are doing something new and you cannot rely on your previous experience:

We started the business in 1996, and for the first couple of years we were flying by the seat of our pants.

on the edge of your seat

excited and impatient to know what will happen next:

The game kept the fans on the edge of their seats.

a seat at the table

a position as a member of a group that makes decisions:

All disabled athletes want is a seat at the discussion table.

take a back seat (to)

to have a less important position than someone or something else:

He took a back seat, letting the others do the talking.

take a seat

to sit down:

Hi, come on in, take a seat.

I took a seat at the bar.

take your seat

1. ) to sit down, especially in a place that has been kept for you:

They took their seats in the front row.

2. ) to begin work as a member of a legislature, committee, etc.:

Who was the first woman to take her seat in the Senate?

=> HOT SEAT

seat

seat 2 [ sit ] verb **

1. ) transitive FORMAL to put someone or yourself in a seat somewhere:

seat someone in/next to/behind etc. someone/something: He seated himself behind his desk.

The general seated them to his right.

2. ) transitive to have places for a particular number of people to sit:

The new stadium will seat up to 80,000 people.

3. ) transitive to provide someone with a position as a member of a legislature, committee, etc.:

The state's youngest delegate to the convention was seated today.

4. ) intransitive or transitive to fit one part of something firmly into another:

The gasket failed to seat properly.

be seated

1. ) to be sitting down:

When she entered the room they were already seated.

be seated at: Mrs. Summer was seated at the table directly opposite her husband.

be seated on: The emperor is shown seated on a throne.

2. ) SPOKEN FORMAL used for politely asking someone to sit down:

Please be seated.

remain/stay seated

to stay sitting down