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Added 9 October 2026

seat

/siːt/ noun

In Latin: sēdēs, sedīle Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about seat at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane).
he booked their seats in advance
The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on.
he deserves a good kick in the butt
Furniture that is designed for sitting on.
there were not enough seats for all the guests

verb

Show to a seat; assign a seat for.
The host seated me next to Mrs. Smith
Be able to seat.
The theater seats 2,000
Place ceremoniously or formally in an office or position.
there was a ceremony to induct the president of the Academy

Origin

From Middle English sete, from Old English sǣte, possibly from (or simply cognate with) Old Norse sæti (“seat”), both from Proto-Germanic *sētiją (“seat”), from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”); compare Old English set (“seat”). Noun sense 2 (“location or site”) is probably derived from Old English sǣte (“house”), which is related to Old High German sāza (“sedan, seat, domicile”). Cognates * Middle Dutch gesaete * Old High German gisazi (modern German Gesäß)

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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