Merlin chair

noun

A type of early wheelchair, which the occupant propels by means of crank-handles in the armrests.

First used 18th c.
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounMerlin chair (plural Merlin chairs)

plural Merlin chairs

  1. A type of early wheelchair, which the occupant propels by means of crank-handles in the armrests.First known use 18th c.

    She has a gay Turn, but Ill health has long confined her to a Merlin Chair, in wᶜʰ however She travels not incommodiously, and is wheeled about.

    1797 September 19, Hester Lynch Piozzi, Thraliana

Origin

Named after its inventor, John Joseph Merlin (1735–1803).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Merlin chair. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Merlin%20chair

MLA

“Merlin chair.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Merlin%20chair. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Merlin chair,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Merlin%20chair.

Source: Merlin chair on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.