1 [count] : something (such as a chair) that you sit on : a place for sitting ▪ There were seats for six people at the table. ▪ an uncomfortable bicycle seat ▪ 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/reserved a seat on the next flight to Rome. ▪ Please have/take a seat. [=please sit down] ▪ The teacher asked us to take our seats. [=sit down in our usual or assigned places] —see picture at bicycle; see also backseat, catbird seat
2 a [count] : the part of a chair or other piece of furniture that a person sits on ▪ The stool's seat is broken. ▪ The chairs have woven seats. b [singular] : the part of a piece of clothing (such as a skirt or pair of pants) that you sit on —+ of ▪ You have a tear in the seat of your pants. c [count] somewhat old-fashioned : the part of the body on which you sit ▪ I fell off the horse and had a sore seat [=bottom] for weeks.
3 [count] : an official position within an organization and the right to be present when that organization meets ▪ The Democrats gained two more seats in the last election. ▪ She won a Senate seat. ▪ a seat on the federal court ▪ a seat on the board ▪ (chiefly Brit) He took his seat [=began his official duties as a member] in Parliament.
4 [singular] a : a place or area where a particular activity, function, etc., occurs —+ of ▪ The university has been a seat of learning since the Middle Ages. ▪ the part of the brain that is the seat of reasoning b : a place (such as a city) where the people who run a government, religion, etc., are based —+ of ▪ the seat of government/power ▪ The Vatican is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church. —see also county seat