1
2
- the person in charge of a meeting or of a commercial or political organization (used as a neutral alternative to chairman or chairwoman)会议主持人; 会长; 主席（用作中性词, 替代 chairman 或 chairwoman）：
the deputy chair of the Supreme Soviet.
最高苏维埃副主席。
2.1
- an official position of authority, for example on a board of directors职位, 席位（如董事会席位）：
the editorial chair.
编辑职位。
3
- a professorship教授职位：
he held a chair in physics.
他曾是物理学教授。
4
the chair
US short for ELECTRIC CHAIR.〈美〉 ELECTRIC CHAIR的简称。
5
- chiefly Brit. a metal socket holding a rail in place on a railway sleeper〈主英〉（铁路）轨座。
with obj.
1
- act as chairperson of or preside over (an organization, meeting, or public event)担任（组织、会议或公共活动的）主席, 主持, 监管。
2
- Brit. carry (someone) aloft in a chair or in a sitting position to celebrate a victory〈英〉用椅子（或以坐姿）把（某人）高高抬起（以庆祝胜利）。
短语
take the chair
- act as chairperson担任主席; 主持。
词源
Middle English: from Old French chaiere （modern chaire 'bishop's throne， etc. '， chaise 'chair'）， from Latin cathedra 'seat'， from Greek kathedra. Compare with CATHEDRAL.