Definition: chair

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Source: WordNet (r) 1.7 

chair
     n 1: a seat for one person, with a support for the back
     2: the position of professor [syn: professorship]
     3: the officer who presides at the meetings of an organization
        [syn: president, chairman, chairwoman, chairperson]
     4: an instrument of execution by electrocution; resembles a
        chair [syn: electric chair, death chair, hot seat]
     v 1: act or preside as chair, as of an academic department in a
          university; "She chaired the department for many years"
          [syn: chairman]
     2: preside over; "John moderated the discussion" [syn: moderate,
         lead]

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 

Chair \Chair\, v. t. [imp. & p. pr. Chaired; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Chairing.]
   1. To place in a chair.

   2. To carry publicly in a chair in triumph. [Eng.]
Chair \Chair\, n. [OE. chaiere, chaere, OF. chaiere, chaere, F.
   chaire pulpit, fr. L. cathedra chair, armchair, a teacher's
   or professor's chair, Gr. ? down + ? seat, ? to sit, akin to
   E. sit. See Sit, and cf. Cathedral, chaise.]
   1. A movable single seat with a back.

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

            The chair of a philosophical school.  --Whewell.

            A chair of philology.                 --M. Arnold.

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

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

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

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

   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.