an upholstered folding seat with curved legs used by the highest civil officials of ancient Rome
curule chair in American English
noun
(in ancient Rome)
a folding seat with curved legs and no back, often ornamented with ivory, used only by certain high officials
Word origin
[1775–85]This word is first recorded in the period 1775–85. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: amateur, backfire, backup, impact, polyphonic