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A seat is a place to
sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back,
armrest
An armrest is a part of a chair, where a person can rest their arms on.
Armrests are built into a large variety of chairs such as automotive chairs, armchairs, sofas, and more. Adjustable armrests are commonly found in ergonomic office chairs. ...
,
head restraint
Head restraints (also called headrests) are an automotive safety feature, attached or integrated into the top of each seat to limit the rearward movement of the adult occupant's head, relative to the torso, in a collision — to prevent or ...
but also
headquarters in a wider sense.
Types of seat
The following are examples of different kinds of seat:
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Armchair, a chair equipped with armrests
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Airline seat, for passengers in an aircraft
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Bar stool, a high stool used in bars and many houses
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Bench, a long hard seat
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Bicycle seat
A bicycle seat, unlike a bicycle saddle, is designed to support the rider's buttocks and back, usually in a semi-reclined position. Arthur Garford is credited with inventing the padded bicycle seat in 1892, and they are now usually found on recu ...
, a saddle on a bicycle
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Car seat
A car seat is the seat used in automobiles. Most car seats are made from inexpensive but durable material in order to withstand prolonged use. The most common material is polyester.
Bucket seat and bench seat
A bucket seat is a separate ...
, a seat in an automobile
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Cathedra, a seat for a bishop located in a cathedral
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Chair, a seat with a back
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Chaise longue
A chaise longue (; , "long chair") is an upholstered sofa in the shape of a chair that is long enough to support the legs of the sitter.
In modern French the term ''chaise longue'' can refer to any long reclining chair such as a deckchair. ...
, a soft chair with leg support
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Couch, a long soft seat
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Ejection seat
In aircraft, an ejection seat or ejector seat is a system designed to rescue the pilot or other crew of an aircraft (usually military) in an emergency. In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an explosive charge or rock ...
, rescue seat in an aircraft
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Folding seat
A folding seat is a seat that folds away so as to occupy less space. When installed on a transit bus, it makes room for a wheelchair or two. When installed on a passenger car, it provides extra seating.
In churches, it may have a projection cal ...
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Hard seat
The Hard seat () or Semi-cushioned seat, abbreviated YZ, is the cheapest class of seating in China Railway. It is available on non-high-speed trains.
The name of Hard seat derives comes from the hard, wooden seats in the Mao era on regular pass ...
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Infant car seat
A child safety seat, sometimes called an infant safety seat, child restraint system, child seat, baby seat, car seat, or a booster seat, is a seat designed specifically to protect children from injury or death during vehicle collisions. Most c ...
, for a small child in a car
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Jump seat
In aviation, a jump seat or jumpseat is an auxiliary seat for individuals—other than normal passengers—who are not operating the aircraft. In general, the term 'jump seat' can also refer to a seat in any type of vehicle which can fold up out ...
, auxiliary seat in a vehicle
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Pew
A pew () is a long bench seat or enclosed box, used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, synagogue or sometimes a courtroom.
Overview
The first backless stone benches began to appear in English churches in the thirt ...
, a
long seat in a church, synagogue, or courtroom
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Saddle
The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not k ...
, a type of seat used on the backs of animals, bicycles, lap etc.
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Sliding seat, in a rowing boat
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Sofa
A couch, also known as a sofa, settee, or chesterfield, is a cushioned item of furniture for seating multiple people (although it is not uncommon for a single person to use a couch alone). It is commonly found in the form of a bench with up ...
, alternative name for couch
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Stool, a seat with no armrests or back
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Throne
A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign on state occasions; or the seat occupied by a pope or bishop on ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the mona ...
, a seat for a monarch
Etymology
The word seat comes from Middle English ''sete'', Old English ''gesete''/''geseten'' and/or ''sǣte'' seat, ''sittan'' to sit. Possibly related to or cognate with Old Norse ''sæti''. The first known use of the word seat is in the 13th century.
Ergonomics
For someone seated, the 'buttock popliteal' length is the horizontal distance from the rearmost part of the
buttocks
The buttocks (singular: buttock) are two rounded portions of the exterior anatomy of most mammals, located on the posterior of the pelvic region. In humans, the buttocks are located between the lower back and the perineum. They are composed ...
to the back of the
lower leg
The human leg, in the general word sense, is the entire lower limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh or sometimes even the hip or gluteal region. However, the definition in human anatomy refers only to the section of the lower limb e ...
.
This
anthropometric
Anthropometry () refers to the measurement of the human individual. An early tool of physical anthropology, it has been used for identification, for the purposes of understanding human physical variation, in paleoanthropology and in various atte ...
measurement is used to determine seat depth. Mass-produced chairs typically use a depth of .
See also
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Chair
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Seating assignment
In live entertainment, there are several possible schemes for the seating assignment of spectators—including completely unassigned seating. There are several schemes which are most commonly used, though there are no hard and fast rules and alter ...
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Seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
References
{{Authority control
Furniture
de:Möbel#Sitzmöbel