to take the chair
Preserved but no longer current.
To become the chairman or president of a public meeting. The chairman is placed in some conspicuous place, like the Speaker of the House of Commons, and his decision is absolutely final in all points of doubt. Usually the persons present nominate and elect their own chairman; but in some cases there is an ex officio chairman.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to take the chair” mean?
To become the chairman or president of a public meeting. The chairman is placed in some conspicuous place, like the Speaker of the House of Commons, and his decision is absolutely final in all points of doubt. Usually the persons present nominate and elect their own chairman; but in some cases there is an ex officio chairman.
Is “to take the chair” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.