A chair is a piece of furniture designed for one person to sit on, typically with a seat, a back, and often four legs. Chairs come in countless varieties: wooden chairs at the dining table, soft armchairs for reading, office chairs that swivel and roll, folding chairs for extra guests, and rocking chairs that move back and forth.

The word also means to lead or preside over a meeting or organization. When someone chairs a committee, they run the meetings, keep discussions on track, and make sure everyone gets heard. A chairperson or chair holds this leadership position. You might hear that Professor Chen chairs the science department, meaning she leads it.

In some contexts, the chair refers to a specific position of authority, like when a university appoints someone to the chair of mathematics, a prestigious teaching and research position.