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What's the difference between wing chair and armchair?

I searched both with Google images and they looked almost the same -- chairs with sides where we can put our arms on them.

Thank you in advance!

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A wing chair has 'wings' up the side, originally intended to shield the sitter's torso and head from drafts. In these days of central heating the wings are just a 'design element'.

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I've never head of a "wing chair". I think that might be more technical term, that you would use in a furniture store, but nowhere else.

"Armchair" is much more common.

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  • I agree. This is the first time that I have heard of it. It is not in the everyday language of, a lot of English speakers.
    – Tristan r
    Jan 29, 2014 at 19:40
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    "I've never hear of" ... isn't an answer to the question, is it?
    – GEdgar
    Jan 29, 2014 at 19:41
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    I think it helps a non-native speaker to know that even native speakers haven't heard of a term. If the asker gets 10 Americans and British people saying they don't know the word, I think that's informative. Certainly, it has to be more informative than dead silence.
    – swbarnes2
    Jan 29, 2014 at 22:49

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