座

ざ
seat
one's place
position

* * *

ざ【座】

①［座る場所］

〔座席， 席〕( ⇒ ざせき )

**seat

〖C〗.

②［地位］

¶ → 権力の座につく

¶ → 権力の座に返り咲く

③［集まりの席・雰囲気］

〔場〕

¶～を打ち解けさせる

break the ice 《やや略式》(パーティーなどで)話の口火を切る

¶～が白けないようにする

keep the ball rolling.

* * *

I

ざ【座】

1 〔座席〕 a seat. [⇒せき²]

●座に着く seat oneself; be seated; sit down; take one's seat; 《米》 have a seat

・座に直る 〔自席に着く〕 settle in the seat reserved for one.

●座を占める 〔席につく〕 get a seat; 〔ある地位を占める〕 assume a position

・座を空ける give one's seat to sb

・座を立つ leave one's seat; quit [rise from] one's seat

・座を譲る give up one's seat 《for sb》; offer [give] one's seat 《to sb》

・座を外す withdraw (from sb's presence); leave [quit] the room; go [slip] out of the room; 《口》 make oneself scarce

・すまないが座を外してくれないか. Excuse me. Would you leave us (alone) for a while?

2 〔地位〕 (the) status.

●政権の座 the seat of (political) power

・妻の座 the status of wife.

●大関の座から陥落する fall from the position of ōzeki

・権力の座から引きずり降ろす dislodge sb from the seat of power; unseat [depose] sb.

●権力の座に着く take (up) the reins of power

・彼は現在学長の座にある. He now sits in the president's [《米》 chancellor's, 《英》 vice chancellor's] chair.

●権力[首位]の座を守る maintain one's hold on power [first place, the top position]

・首位の座を脅かす threaten the team in first place

・社長の座を明け渡す resign the office of president

・彼は会長の座を息子に譲った. He resigned the board chairman's seat in favor of his son.

・彼は資産家の婿養子の座を射止めた. He married into his bride's family and won heirdom to a fortune.

3 〔集まりの場〕 a gathering; the party; the company.

●座が白けた. A chill was cast over the party. | A pall fell over the room. | All present felt constrained.

・酒がないと座がもたない. People won't stay if there aren't any drinks.

●私もその座に連なっていた. I, too, attended the gathering.

●座を持つ[取り持つ] entertain [amuse] one's guests [the company]

・座を設ける hold a gathering; have a party

・野球の話でどうにか座をもたせた. She managed to keep everybody entertained with talk about baseball.

・彼は座を蹴って出ていった. He got angry and stalked out of the room.

4 〔台座〕 a stand; a pedestal; a platform; (仏像の) a pedestal 《for the statue of a Buddha》.

5 【日本史】 〔同業組合〕 a (trade) guild; a type of monopolistic trade association of medieval Japan.

II

-ざ【-座】

1 〔助数詞〕 (劇場など) 《seven》 theaters; (山) 《seven》 mountains; (祭神) 《seven》 presiding deities; (仏像) 《seven》 Buddhist statues.

●江戸三座 the three officially recognized Kabuki theaters (of the city) of Edo

・高峰七座 the seven lofty peaks

・文学座 〔劇団名〕 the Bungakuza Company

・ミラノ座 〔映画館名〕 the Milanoza Cinema

・明治座 〔劇場名〕 the Meijiza Theatre.

●この神社の祭神は大国主(_{おおくにぬし})を含む 6座である. The presiding deities of this shrine are six in number, including Ōkuninushi.

2 〔星座〕

●うお座 the Fishes; Pisces (略: Psc.). <▲> 「…座」は各見出し語参照.

・こと座のベガ Vega in Lyra

・オリオン座のベータ星 Beta Orionis. <▲> Orionis は Orion のラテン語の属格形.

●あなたは何座の生まれですか. What is your astrological sign?