seat

«seat» in Mova's school dictionary: something to sit on, like a chair, a bench or a place on… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun, verb (seat, seats, seated, seating)

meaning for a pupil

1) A seat is something to sit on, like a chair, a bench or a place on a bus. tree →

2) A seat is a place where one person can sit in a theatre, plane or classroom. tree →

3) To seat someone is to give them a place to sit or to show them where to sit. tree →

4) A table or room that seats 6 has room for 6 people. tree →

5) A seat is also a place in a parliament or council won in an election. tree →

sense in the lessons

In maths seats are places counted: seats in rows, on a bus or in a theatre; empty and full seats; how many people a table seats. In everyday life: take a seat, save a seat, fasten your seat belt, the front seat, the back seat, car seat for babies. In stories: «Please be seated» is a polite way to say «sit down».

examples

• A bus has 40 seats. tree →
• The hall has 12 rows of 20 seats. tree →
• 35 seats are taken; how many are empty? tree →
• Each table seats 6 people. tree →
• Please take a seat and wait for your name. tree →
• Small children must ride in a car seat in the back seat. tree →
• Can you save me a seat next to you at lunch? tree →
• The guests were seated at long tables. tree →
• Fasten your seat belt before the car moves. tree →
• The fool took his seat and drove off. tree →

note

Countable: a seat, seats. «Seat» as a verb usually takes a person (seat the guests) or a number (seats 6). Rows × seats per row = all seats; seats taken + empty = all. «Seats 6» is a capacity. Trap: if people do not fit, you need one more table or bus (round up). Do not confuse seat with «sit» (the action) or «set» (to put).

In the corpora

• Orchestras usually seat the quieter strings at the front and the louder brass and percussion at the back, to balance the sound.
• Crying on the platform, he wonders about hiding under a seat, when a kind engine-driver says «Hullo, mother!
• In the front seat the old cravings rise up again: «It is fate!» he said to himself.
• On a moving bus you stay seated, or hold on tight if you must stand.
• Putting the toilet seat down and closing the lid is polite, and stops toddlers falling in.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «seat» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.