seat*/*/*/

[siːt] noun [C] I

1) something that you can sit on

Some of the vans have leather seats.[/ex]

The seat next to me was empty.[/ex]

He was in the back seat of the car when the accident happened.[/ex]

She put her bag on the passenger seat (= the seat next to the driver) and started the car.[/ex]

I had a window seat on the plane.[/ex]

2) a seat that you pay for as a passenger on a vehicle or as a member of the audience in a theatre

I managed to get us the best seats in the theatre.[/ex]

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

3) the part of a chair that you sit on

4) a position as a member of a parliament or committee

The Green Party won four seats in the new parliament.[/ex]

a permanent seat on the UN Security Council[/ex]

•

take a back seat — to have a less important position than someone or something else[/ex]

take a back seat — to deliberately become less active, and give up trying to control things[/ex]

take a seat — to sit down[/ex]

Hi, come on in, take a seat.[/ex]

take your seat — to sit down, especially in a place that has been kept for you[/ex]

They took their seats in the front row.[/ex]

II

verb [T]

seat [siːt]

1) formal

to put someone or yourself in a seat somewhere

He seated himself behind his desk.[/ex]

The general seated them to his right.[/ex]

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

The new stadium will seat up to 80, 000 people.[/ex]

•

be seated — to be sitting down[/ex]

When she entered the room they were already seated.[/ex]