seat

noun

\ ˈsēt

Definition of seat

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a special chair of one in eminence also : the status represented by it

b : a chair, stool, or bench intended to be sat in or on

c : the particular part of something on which one rests in sitting the seat of a chair trouser seat

d : buttocks

2a : a seating accommodation a seat for the game a 200-seat restaurant

b : a right of sitting lost his seat in Congress

c : membership on an exchange

3a : a place where something specified is prevalent : center a seat of learning

b : a place from which authority is exercised the county seat

c : a bodily part in which some function or condition is centered the brain as the seat of the mind

4 : posture in or way of sitting on horseback

5a : a part at or forming the base of something

b : a part (such as a socket) or surface on or in which another part or surface rests

by the seat of one's pants

: using experience and intuition rather than mechanical aids or formal theory

seat

verb

seated; seating; seats

Definition of seat (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to install in a seat of dignity or office

b(1) : to cause to sit or assist in finding a seat

(2) : to provide seats for a theater seating 1000 persons

c : to put in a sitting position

2 : to repair the seat of or provide a new seat for

3 : to fit to or with a seat seat a valve

intransitive verb

1 archaic : to take one's seat or place

2 : to fit correctly on a seat

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Synonyms for seat

Synonyms: Noun

command, headquarters

Synonyms: Verb

set down, sit

Examples of seat in a Sentence

Noun

There were seats for six people at the table. a car with leather seats He used the box as a seat. He couldn't find his seat in the concert hall. The city recently built a new 1,000-seat theater. She booked a seat on the next flight to Rome. The stool's seat is broken. The chairs have woven seats. The Democrats gained two more seats in the last election. She won a Senate seat.

Verb

I could seat you here if you wish. The plans call for a stadium seating 30,000 people.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Republican Jon Kyl of Arizona was sworn in to fill the Senate seat left open by the death of John McCain. — BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 5 Sep. 2019 Automakers pledged to equip nearly all new cars with reminders to check the rear seats for children. — Washington Post, "Judge approves CVS merger with Aetna," 5 Sep. 2019 The vehicle the warrant says Fotis Dulos is believed to have driven on the day of the disappearance belongs to one of his employees, who told police Dulos urged him to replace the seats. — Rob Frehse, CNN, "Missing Connecticut mom's body was in truck used by her estranged husband at some point, warrant says," 5 Sep. 2019 Evers also appointed Brittany Grayson to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court seat vacated by the retirement of Michael Dwyer. — Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Evers names Milwaukee County Judge Joe Donald to Appeals Court in Milwaukee, lawyer Jeffrey Davis in Waukesha," 4 Sep. 2019 Seatings will be on the hour, and will be available at all 10 of the bar’s seats. — Phil Vettel, chicagotribune.com, "Speedy sashimi: Sushi-San launches 45-minute, $45 omakase menu," 3 Sep. 2019 His biggest kick came on the opposite side of the field where all the seats are painted blue. — Stefan Krajisnik, Indianapolis Star, "Logan Justus puts best foot forward in IU's season-opening win," 1 Sep. 2019 Roll bars, netting across the doors and shoulder belts are standard, as are cupholders and lockable toolboxes under the seats. — Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, "Jeep-like ATV looks like a toy — but Mahindra means business," 31 Aug. 2019 Kevin Newman drilled the game’s first pitch — an 89.8 mph fastball — 426 feet into the left-center field seats. — Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, "Rockies fall to Pirates and the facts tell the story of a struggling baseball team," 31 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The 2,500-square-foot restaurant, which seats up to 172 diners, features floor-to-ceiling waterfront windows. — Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, "Waterfront view alert: Berkeley Boathouse restaurant opening at the marina," 4 Sep. 2019 The new, $85 million facility has shiny science labs, manicured sports fields, a gym that seats about 800 and a medical center that will be open to the community. — Chicago Tribune Staff, chicagotribune.com, "Daywatch: A challenger for Kim Foxx, the first day — ever — at Englewood STEM High School, and other things to know to start your day," 3 Sep. 2019 Dodd Stadium, which seats 6,270, was built to house a full season, Double A franchise in 1995. — Dom Amore, courant.com, "As season ends, Connecticut Tigers work to end political controversy, reboot and get back to business of baseball," 2 Sep. 2019 Perches had to scramble at the last minute to hold services at a La Paz Faith Memorial & Spiritual Center, a bigger location with a sanctuary that can seat 500 people. — Dallas News, "A grieving man’s cry for support draws people from all over to mourn El Paso massacre victim," 17 Aug. 2019 But the current opening spree shows the widespread appeal: Hai Di Lao’s Seattle store will be in the heart of downtown Seattle, with a nearly 8,500-square-foot spot that will seat 300 people. — Naomi Tomky, Fortune, "High-End Hot Pot Heats Up in the U.S.," 11 Aug. 2019 Another rule: to always sit where one is assigned in order to maintain the intricate social balance that is seating at a dinner party. — Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Reportedly Being Criticized for Showing PDA at Dinner Parties," 11 Aug. 2019 And once a crescent moon replaced the sun over the empty red and yellow bleachers that usually seat racing fans, none of the festival-goers remembered the heat. — Miguel Garcia Jr., Billboard, "Hard Summer 2019 Brought the Heat With High Temps and Hot Sets From Kid Cudi, Major Lazer & More," 5 Aug. 2019 The park’s amphitheater which seats about 450 people and an adjacent grassy area overlooking the lake quickly vanished beneath the crush of concert goers. — Rich Heileman, cleveland.com, "Coe Lake concerts draw overflow crowds: Around The Town," 2 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'seat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near seat

Statistics for seat

Last Updated

12 Sep 2019

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Time Traveler for seat

The first known use of seat was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for seat

seat

noun

Financial Definition of seat

What It Is

A seat is a license to trade on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, either as an agent for someone else or for his or her own personal accounts (in which case, the person is called a floor trader).

How It Works

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, also known as the Big Board) is the first and most popular stock exchange in the world. It was created in 1792 when two dozen stockbrokers and merchants signed the Buttonwood Agreement. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and derivatives all trade on the NYSE.

The NYSE is an auction market where brokers and specialists buy and sell securities for people by matching the highest bidding price with the lowest selling price. When an investor wishes to buy or sell a security listed on the NYSE, he or she "places a trade" or an "order" by calling her broker or going to her online trading account. In either case, the order goes to a broker, who can get the order to the exchange several ways -- through a regional exchange, electronic communications network or directly to the NYSE. No matter how, the order eventually reaches the floor of the NYSE where floor brokers and specialists handle transactions.

Floor brokers execute buy and sell orders on behalf of their clients or the firms they work for. If you wanted to sell some shares of Company XYZ, for example, you might call your broker down the street and place a sell order. Your broker might in turn route the order to one of his firm's floor brokers who are actually on the floor of the exchange. The floor broker approaches the Company XYZ specialist (see below) and executes the trade. Some floor brokers are independent, meaning that they are not employed by any brokerage firm, but provide services to brokerage firms (that is, they work for themselves). In either case, floor brokers are the people doing most of the shouting on the trading floor.

Being a floor broker requires owning a seat on the NYSE.

Why It Matters

Seat holders help ensure an orderly market, which is one of the pillars of a stable financial system. For many, a seat on the NYSE is a symbol of all that is Wall Street. It is the place where fortunes are made and lost, and where the free market can be seen in its most tangible form. The NYSE manages the transfer of trading seats and determines which companies qualify for listing on the exchange. It also investigates and prosecutes violations of NYSE and federal securities regulations and can censure, fine, suspend, expel or bar members.

Although the NYSE expends considerable effort monitoring seat holders, they are also subject to a considerable amount of regulation from several federal agencies, such as the Federal Reserve, and from a host of laws, such as the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Source: Investing Answers

seat

noun