"thing to sit on, act of sitting," c.1200, from O.N. sæti "seat, position," from P.Gmc. *sæt- (cf. O.H.G. saze, M.Du. gesaete "seat," O.H.G. gisazi, Ger. Gesäß "buttocks"), from PIE base *sed- "to sit" (see sit). The verb is from 1577. Meaning "posterior of the body" (the sitting part) is from 1607; sense of "part of a garment which covers the buttocks" is from 1835. Seat belt is from 1932, originally in airplanes.
"residence, abode, established place," c.1275, extended use of seat (1), influenced by O.Fr. siege "seat, established place," and L. sedes "seat." Meaning "city in which a government sits" is attested from c.1400. Sense of "place in a parliament or other legislative body" is attested from 1774. O.E. had sæt "place where one sits in ambush," which also meant "residents, inhabitants," and is the source of the -set in Dorset and Somerset.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane); "he booked their seats in advance"; "he sat in someone else's place"
2.
the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on; "he deserves a good kick in the butt"; "are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?" [syn: buttocks]
3.
furniture that is designed for sitting on; "there were not enough seats for all the guests"
4.
any support where you can sit (especially the part of a chair or bench etc. on which you sit); "he dusted off the seat before sitting down"
5.
a center of authority (as a city from which authority is exercised)
6.
the location (metaphorically speaking) where something is based; "the brain is said to be the seat of reason"
7.
the legal right to sit as a member in a legislative or similar body; "he was elected to a seat in the Senate"
8.
a part of a machine that supports or guides another part
9.
the cloth covering for the buttocks; "the seat of his pants was worn through"
verb
1.
show to a seat; assign a seat for; "The host seated me next to Mrs. Smith"
2.
be able to seat; "The theater seats 2,000"
3.
place ceremoniously or formally in an office or position; "there was a ceremony to induct the president of the Academy" [syn: induct]
4.
put a seat on a chair
5.
provide with seats; "seat a concert hall"
6.
place or attach firmly in or on a base; "seat the camera on the tripod"
7.
place in or on a seat; "the mother seated the toddler on the high chair"
Seat Pleasant, MD (city, FIPS 70850) Location: 38.89525 N, 76.90251 W Population (1990): 5359 (1809 housing units) Area: 1.9 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Seat\, n. [OE. sete, Icel. s[ae]ti; akin to Sw. s["a]te, Dan. s[ae]de, MHG. s[=a]ze, AS. set, setl, and E. sit. [root]154. See Sit, and cf. Settle, n.]1. The place or thing upon which one sits; hence; anything made to be sat in or upon, as a chair, bench, stool, saddle, or the like. And Jesus . . . overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves. --Matt. xxi. 12. 2. The place occupied by anything, or where any person or thing is situated, resides, or abides; a site; an abode, a station; a post; a situation. Where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is. --Rev. ii. 13. He that builds a fair house upon an ill seat committeth himself to prison. --Bacon. A seat of plenty, content, and tranquillity. --Macaulay. 3. That part of a thing on which a person sits; as, the seat of a chair or saddle; the seat of a pair of pantaloons. 4. A sitting; a right to sit; regular or appropriate place of sitting; as, a seat in a church; a seat for the season in the opera house. 5. Posture, or way of sitting, on horseback. She had so good a seat and hand she might be trusted with any mount. --G. Eliot. 6. (Mach.) A part or surface on which another part or surface rests; as, a valve seat. Seat worm (Zo["o]l.), the pinworm.
Seat\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Seated; p. pr. & vb. n. Seating.]1. To place on a seat; to cause to sit down; as, to seat one's self. The guests were no sooner seated but they entered into a warm debate. --Arbuthnot. 2. To cause to occupy a post, site, situation, or the like; to station; to establish; to fix; to settle. Thus high . . . is King Richard seated. --Shak. They had seated themselves in New Guiana. --Sir W. Raleigh. 3. To assign a seat to, or the seats of; to give a sitting to; as, to seat a church, or persons in a church. 4. To fix; to set firm. From their foundations, loosening to and fro, They plucked the seated hills. --Milton. 5. To settle; to plant with inhabitants; as to seat a country. [Obs.] --W. Stith. 6. To put a seat or bottom in; as, to seat a chair.
![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Audio Help [seet] Pronunciation Key 
