[seize] vb seized ; seiz.ing [ME saisen, fr. OF saisir to put in possession of, fr. ML sacire, of Gmc origin; perh. akin to OHG sezzen to set--more at set] vt (14c) 1 a usu seise : to vest ownership of a freehold estate in b often seise : to put in possession of something "the biographer will be seized of all pertinent papers"
2. a: to take possession of: confiscate b: to take possession of by legal process 3 a: to possess or take by force: capture b: to take prisoner: arrest
4. a: to take hold of: clutch b: to possess oneself of: grasp c: to understand fully and distinctly: apprehend
5. a: to attack or overwhelm physically: afflict "suddenly seized with an acute illness --H. G. Armstrong" b: to possess (as one's mind) completely or overwhelmingly "seized the popular imagination --Basil Davenport"
6: to bind or fasten together with a lashing of small stuff (as yarn, marline, or fine wire) ~ vi 1: to take or lay hold suddenly or forcibly
2. a: to cohere to a relatively moving part through excessive pressure, temperature, or friction--used esp. of machine parts (as bearings, brakes, or pistons) b: to fail to operate due to the seizing of a part--used of an engine syn see take -- seiz.er n