ˈsēz verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English saisen, seisen, sesen, from Old French saisir, from Medieval Latin sacire to effect legal possession, to assign, of Germanic origin; akin to Gothic satjan to set — more at set
transitive verb
1.
a. usually seise “ : to vest ownership of a freehold estate in with or without actual possession
the lord of the manor seises his heir in land holdings
the widow should have the third part of a fief of which her husband was seised at the time of their marriage — C.H.McIlwain
b.
(1) often seise : to put in legal possession of estate or property
we were landowners now, duly seised and possessed — Mark Twain
entitled to inherit the estate of which said deceased died seized — Detroit Law Journal
signed to clear the title to other properties of which her father had died seized — G.L.Fake
(2) often seise : to put in possession of something
temperate men are seized of … wisdom and knowledge — Richard Carew
the biographer will be seized of all pertinent papers and correspondence
(3) : to endow (a governmental agency or deliberative body) with the responsibility for action on a matter by placing it on an agenda
the House when seized of the matter either gave its decision forthwith after debate or referred the matter to a select committee — T.E.May
points out that the Council is still officially seized with the dispute eight years after it was settled — Hadassah Newsletter
the Committee may not, however, consider any matter of which the Security Council is seized and which the Council has not submitted to the Assembly — U.N. Dept. of Public Information
2.
a. : to take possession of : confiscate
government seized the entire foreign-owned oil industry — R.W.Van Alstyne
any authorized officer has power to seize any article of food which appears to him unfit — C.R.A.Martin
b. : to take possession of (something) after or by a court order, legislative enactment, or other legal process
seized control of steel plants to prevent the scheduled walkout — Mary K. Hammond
ten of the exhibiting artists have had their paintings seized — New York Times
authority to seize and impound the agency's funds
3.
a. : to possess or take by force : capture
the wind ready to seize the hat off my head — Mary Deasy
the tremendous riches seized in swift attacks on land and water — H.E.Rieseberg
the military regime which had seized power — Americana Annual
b. : to take prisoner : arrest
the three men were seized by a large body of Sioux — I.B.Richman
the determination of the Allied Powers to seize and punish war criminals — R.G.Neumann
4.
a.
(1) : to take hold of : clutch
ordered his soldiers to shave off their beards so that their enemies might not seize them — F.J.Haskin
seizing between his teeth the cartilage — G.B.Shaw
(2) : to take hold of quickly or eagerly
the hero seized her in unaccustomed arms — G.W.Brace
seized pen and paper — John Irwin
b. : to possess oneself of : grasp
and rise to seize the everlasting prize — W.W.Walford
seize the leadership of social reform — Current Biography
seized for the committee the right to report on … national finances — Allan Nevins
c. : to take or use eagerly or quickly often as a rationalization or last resort
seized the opportunity to calculate a number of fresh latitudes — Benjamin Farrington
they'll seize any excuse to stop work and cut down a tree — Ellen Glasgow
d. : to understand fully and distinctly : apprehend
we can only try to seize the meaning of serfdom — R.W.Southern
the artist … possesses the power of surely and frequently seizing reality — Clive Bell
there's no one now to grasp my half- seized thought — Donagh MacDonagh
5. obsolete : to fix or establish in a place
the gentleman was seized in my country — Thomas Stafford
6.
a. : to attack or overwhelm physically : afflict
suddenly seized with an acute illness — H.G.Armstrong
the arthritis which had seized him during the summer — Virginia D. Dawson & Betty D. Wilson
b. : to possess (one's mind) completely or overwhelmingly
he was early seized with the idea of building cars — A.F.Harlow
a kind of panic seized her — Mary Austin
seized the popular imagination — Basil Davenport
conviction seized him — Henry Miller
7. : to bind or fasten together with a lashing of small stuff (as yarn, marline, or fine wire)
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to take possession — usually used with on or upon
amassed fortunes, either by seizing on their property, or by selling their persons — G.G.Coulton
b. : to make use often as a last resort — usually used with on or upon
seized upon business as their sacrificial goat — B.F.Fairless
seize on any plan, despite its imperfections, hoping for relief — Dance Observer
seize upon the drug as a cure for their real or imaginary ailments — Irish Digest
2. : to cohere or stick fast to a relatively moving part (as a bearing, a gas-engine piston, or a slide valve) through excessive pressure, temperature, or friction
3. chiefly Britain : to slow down or proceed with awkwardness or difficulty — usually used with up
the verse seized up, sometimes by sheer surfeit of imagery — C.D.Lewis
compositions for wind alone often seize up in the middle parts — Edward Sackville-West
Synonyms: see take