Seat

For other uses, see Seat (disambiguation).

Seats at a British railway station

A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint, and sometimes even seatbelts, although rare, but also headquarters in a wider sense.

Types of seat

Further information: List of chairs

The following are examples of different kinds of seat:

• Armchair, a chair equipped with armrests
• Airline seat, for passengers in an aircraft
• Bar stool, a high stool used in bars and most houses
• Bench, a long hard seat
• Bicycle seat, a saddle on a bicycle
• Car seat, a seat in an automobile
• Cathedra, a seat for a bishop located in a cathedral
• Chair, a seat with a back
• Chaise longue, a soft chair with leg support
• Couch, a long soft seat
• Ejection seat, rescue seat in an aircraft
• Folding seat
• Hard seat
• Infant car seat, for a small child in a car
• Jump seat, auxiliary seat in a vehicle
• Pew, a long seat in a church, synagogue, or courtroom
• Saddle, a type of seat used on the backs of animals, bicycles, lap etc.
• Sliding seat, in a rowing boat
• Sofa, alternative name for couch
• Stool, a seat with no armrests or back
• Throne, 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 to the back of the lower leg. This anthropometric measurement is used to determine seat depth. Mass-produced chairs typically use a depth of 15 to 16 inches (38.1 to 40.6 cm).

See also

• Chair
• Seating assignment
• Seating capacity