seat
/siːt/ (bre, ipa) · /siːt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsēt/ (ame, mw) · /-siːt/ (bre, ipa) · /-siːt/ (ame, ipa)
seat — noun
- seatsingular
- seatsplural
1. something that a person sits on, like a chair, or the place where you sit inside
something that a person sits on, like a chair, or the place where you sit inside a bus, train, or aircraft
Rin found a seat near the window on the morning train.
countable noun with preposition 'on'
All seats on the flight to Tokyo have been sold out.
The bus was full, so Linh had to stand because no seat was free.
Please return your seat to an upright position before landing.
用法筆記
Often used with words like 'front', 'back', 'window', 'aisle' to describe where the seat is located.
常見錯誤
2. the flat or curved surface on a chair, stool, or other furniture where someone p
the flat or curved surface on a chair, stool, or other furniture where someone puts their bottom when they sit
The seat of the old wooden chair was worn smooth from years of use.
Mert replaced the broken seat of the kitchen stool with a new piece of wood.
Cushions on the seat make the dining chairs much more comfortable.
The trousers had a small tear in the seat that needed stitching up.
- base
more general; seat is specifically the sitting surface
用法筆記
For clothing, 'seat' refers to the part covering the bottom. This sense overlaps with sense 3 (body part) when describing clothing.
3. the rounded area on a person's body that contacts a chair when sitting; the bott
the rounded area on a person's body that contacts a chair when sitting; the bottom
Eshe slipped on the wet floor and landed hard on her seat.
The doctor asked the patient to shift forward so his seat rested on the exam table.
politeness: used instead of 'bottom' in formal settings
After four hours in the car, Wren's seat was sore from sitting too long.
Babies often wiggle and slide forward until only their seat is touching the high chair.
用法筆記
More polite than 'bottom' or 'buttocks' but less formal than 'posterior'. Common in polite conversation and with children.
常見錯誤
4. the right or role of being a member of an important group such as a government,
the right or role of being a member of an important group such as a government, council, or committee
Benjamin won a seat on the city council after a close election race.
collocation: win a seat
Adina has held her seat in parliament for more than twelve years.
collocation: hold a seat
The party lost three seats in the regional election last November.
Two candidates are competing for a single seat on the school board.
- membership
broader; seat specifically implies a voting position on a governing body
- position
more general; seat is a type of elected or appointed position
用法筆記
Frequently used in political contexts. 'Contest a seat' means to try to be elected. 'Stand for a seat' means to be a candidate.
常見錯誤
5. a desk or area in a workplace that belongs to a specific person and where they d
a desk or area in a workplace that belongs to a specific person and where they do their job
Tamás left his jacket on his seat and went to the meeting room.
The company assigned each new employee a seat in the open-plan office.
Mauricio decorated his seat with photos of his family and a small plant.
Please keep your seat tidy so the cleaners can reach the desk surfaces.
- desk
more specific: the actual table; seat implies the whole workstation area
- workstation
more formal/technical term for an assigned office area
用法筆記
Often used in the phrase 'back to your seat' when asking someone to return to their desk. In modern offices, 'seat' often implies a desk with a computer.
6. a place that has been reserved or offered to a student on an educational program
a place that has been reserved or offered to a student on an educational programme, training course, or at a university
Padma received a seat in the medical programme at National University.
collocation: receive a seat
The college has only two hundred seats available for first-year students.
Michael applied early to increase his chance of getting a seat in the popular course.
Several students turned down their seats, so the programme has openings again.
- place
more general; seat in education specifically implies a reserved spot on a programme
用法筆記
Common in competitive admissions contexts. 'Secure a seat' implies getting a place by meeting entry requirements or through a selection process.
7. a town or city that serves as the main centre for a government, university, or m
a town or city that serves as the main centre for a government, university, or major business activity
Cambridge is long known as a seat of learning and scientific discovery.
collocation: seat of learning
The city became the seat of government after the capital was moved inland.
collocation: seat of government
Paris is the seat of many international organisations and their headquarters.
The county seat holds all the official records for the surrounding area.
- centre
more general; seat implies official authority or historical importance
- headquarters
more specific to organisational/institutional contexts
- capital
specifically for political capitals; seat is broader
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'of' plus a noun describing the activity (government, learning, commerce). Formal register; not used casually.
常見錯誤
8. the position and posture that a rider adopts while sitting on a horse's back
the position and posture that a rider adopts while sitting on a horse's back
The instructor praised Ishaan for his strong and balanced seat on the horse.
collocation: balanced seat; strong seat
A good seat is essential for controlling the horse during jumps.
Beginners often struggle to keep their seat when the horse trots or canters.
The riding coach showed the student how to deepen her seat for better stability.
用法筆記
An equestrian term. Used by horse riders and trainers. The phrase 'deep seat' means the rider sits low in the saddle with good contact.
seat — verb
- seatpresent simple I / you / we / they
- seats3rd person singular
- seating-ing form
- seatedpast simple
1. to guide or help someone to a particular chair or place to sit, especially in a
to guide or help someone to a particular chair or place to sit, especially in a formal setting such as a restaurant, theatre, or ceremony
The waiter seated Rin and her guests at a table by the window.
pattern: seat + person + at/near/by + location
Guests were seated according to their names on the wedding invitation cards.
passive form: be seated
Please wait here until an usher seats you in the hall.
The flight attendant seated families with young children near the front of the plane.
Linh was seated next to a retired professor during the formal dinner.
- show to a seat
phrase, equivalent meaning
- usher
more specific; implies guiding with formality
文法句型
seat + object + preposition (at/in/by/near)
用法筆記
Common in passive voice ('be seated'). More polite than 'sit someone down'. The preposition varies by context: 'seat at a table', 'seat in a row', 'seat by the stage'.
常見錯誤
2. to place your body on a chair or other surface and rest with your weight on your
to place your body on a chair or other surface and rest with your weight on your bottom, used formally with 'yourself' or 'oneself'
Benjamin seated himself at the head of the long conference table.
reflexive: seat + oneself
Please seat yourself anywhere you find comfortable in the waiting area.
The guests seated themselves quietly as the ceremony was about to begin.
Aiko seated herself on the garden bench and opened the novel she was reading.
- sit down
less formal and much more common in everyday speech
- take a seat
polite equivalent, intransitive verb phrase
文法句型
seat + yourself + preposition
用法筆記
More formal than 'sit down'. 'Seat yourself' is common in polite instructions. 'Sit' without a reflexive pronoun is the neutral everyday choice.
常見錯誤
3. when a space such as a hall, restaurant, or bus seats a specific number, it cont
when a space such as a hall, restaurant, or bus seats a specific number, it contains enough chairs or room for that many people to sit down
The new concert hall seats two thousand people in its main auditorium.
pattern: venue + seats + number + people
This round table seats eight guests comfortably for a dinner party.
The minibus seats twelve passengers plus the driver.
Their backyard patio seats about forty people for summer barbecues.
- hold
broader; can include standing room, not just seats
- accommodate
more formal; includes seating and other arrangements
文法句型
venue + seats + number
用法筆記
A stative verb — it describes a fact about capacity, not an action. Cannot be used in continuous form ('The hall is seating 500' is incorrect). Often confused with 'sit' in learner writing.
常見錯誤
4. to put chairs or other sitting surfaces into a building, room, or vehicle so tha
to put chairs or other sitting surfaces into a building, room, or vehicle so that people can use it
The stadium was newly seated with blue plastic chairs before the tournament.
passive: be seated with [type of chair]
The church seated its aisles with long wooden benches for the Sunday service.
The contractor seated the amphitheatre using reclaimed stone from the old quarry.
All classrooms have been seated with adjustable desks and chairs for student comfort.
- furnish
broader; includes all types of furniture, not just seats
文法句型
be seated with + material
用法筆記
Less common than verb sense 3. This sense focuses on the act of furnishing with seats, not on capacity. Often used in passive voice describing how a venue is equipped.
5. to place someone in an important official role or position, often during a forma
to place someone in an important official role or position, often during a formal ceremony
The new director was seated in her role during a ceremony at the town hall.
passive: be seated in/into + position
The committee seated three new members at the annual general meeting.
Traditionally, the eldest son was seated as the heir to the family estate.
The newly seated board members will serve a four-year term starting next month.
文法句型
seat + person + in/as + position
用法筆記
Overlaps with noun sense 4 (official position). Used primarily in formal, ceremonial, or historical contexts. 'Seat' here implies a formal installation with authority attached.
seat — suffix
1. used after a number to describe how many chairs or sitting places something has;
used after a number to describe how many chairs or sitting places something has; for example, a '200-seat theatre' has two hundred chairs for the audience
They booked tickets for a show at a five-hundred-seat theatre downtown.
pattern: number + -seat + noun
The airline uses a two-hundred-seat aircraft on its international routes.
Rin prefers smaller restaurants over large hundred-seat dining halls.
The new forty-seat classroom was equipped with modern projectors and screens.
文法句型
number + -seat + noun
用法筆記
Always hyphenated when used as a compound adjective before a noun (e.g., 'a 200-seat hall'). Do not use 'seats' (plural) in the compound form.