death seat

American

noun

the passenger seat next to the driver in an automobile, regarded as dangerous in the event of a collision.

death seat British

noun

slang the seat beside the driver of a vehicle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of death seat

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

death seat

The most dangerous place in the car is right next to the driver, the so-called death seat.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023