SEIZE


Meaning of SEIZE in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈsēz ]

verb

( seized ; seiz·ing )

Etymology: Middle English saisen, from Anglo-French seisir, from Medieval Latin sacire, of Germanic origin; perhaps akin to Old High German sezzen to set — more at set

Date: 14th century

transitive verb

1.

a. usually seise ˈsēz : 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)

intransitive verb

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 especially of machine parts (as bearings, brakes, or pistons)

b. : to fail to operate due to the seizing of a part — used of an engine

Synonyms: see take

• seiz·er noun

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.