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seize

 - 4 dictionary results

seize

  [seez] verb, seized, seiz⋅ing.
–verb (used with object)
1. to take hold of suddenly or forcibly; grasp: to seize a weapon.
2. to grasp mentally; understand clearly and completely: to seize an idea.
3. to take possession of by force or at will: to seize enemy ships.
4. to take possession or control of as if by suddenly laying hold: Panic seized the crowd.
5. to take possession of by legal authority; confiscate: to seize smuggled goods.
6. Also, seise. Law. to put (someone) in seizin or legal possession of property (usually used in passive constructions): She was seized of vast estates.
7. to capture; take into custody.
8. to take advantage of promptly: to seize an opportunity.
9. Nautical. to bind or fasten together with a seizing.
–verb (used without object)
10. to grab or take hold suddenly or forcibly (usually fol. by on or upon): to seize on a rope.
11. to resort to a method, plan, etc., in desperation (usually fol. by on or upon): He must seize on a solution, however risky.
12. to have moving parts bind and stop moving as a result of excessive pressure, temperature, or friction (usually fol. by up): The engine seized up from cold.
Use seize in a Sentence
Origin:
1250–1300; ME saisen, seisen < OF saisir < ML sacīre to place (in phrase sacīre ad propriētam to take as one's own, lay claim to) < Frankish, perh. akin to Goth satjan to set, put, place

Related forms:
seiz⋅a⋅ble, adjective
seizer; Law. sei⋅zor  [see-zer, -zawr] , noun

Synonyms:
1. clutch, grab. 7. arrest, apprehend. See catch.

Antonyms:
7. release.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To seize
seize   (sēz)   
v.   seized, seiz·ing, seiz·es

v.   tr.

  1. To grasp suddenly and forcibly; take or grab: seize a sword.

    1. To grasp with the mind; apprehend: seize an idea and develop it to the fullest extent.

    2. To possess oneself of (something): seize an opportunity.

    3. To have a sudden overwhelming effect on: a heinous crime that seized the minds and emotions of the populace.

    4. To overwhelm physically: a person who was seized with a terminal disease.

    5. To put (one) into possession of something.

    6. To vest ownership of a feudal property in.

    1. To have a sudden overwhelming effect on: a heinous crime that seized the minds and emotions of the populace.

    2. To overwhelm physically: a person who was seized with a terminal disease.

    3. To put (one) into possession of something.

    4. To vest ownership of a feudal property in.

  4. To take into custody; capture.

  5. To take quick and forcible possession of; confiscate: seize a cache of illegal drugs.

  6. also seise (sēz)

    1. To put (one) into possession of something.

    2. To vest ownership of a feudal property in.

  7. Nautical To bind (a rope) to another, or to a spar, with turns of small line.

v.   intr.

  1. To lay sudden or forcible hold of.

    1. To cohere or fuse with another part as a result of high pressure or temperature and restrict or prevent further motion or flow.

    2. To come to a halt: The talks seized up and were rescheduled.

  3. To exhibit symptoms of seizure activity, usually with convulsions.


[Middle English seisen, from Old French seisir, to take possession, of Germanic origin.]
seiz'a·ble adj., seiz'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

seize 
1265, from O.Fr. seisir "to put in possession of, to take possession of," from L.L. sacire, generally held to be from a Gmc. source, perhaps from Frankish *sakjan "lay claim to" (cf. Goth. sokjan, O.E. secan "to seek;" see seek), or from P.Gmc. *satjan "to place" (see set (v.)). Originally a legal term in ref. to feudal property holdings or offices. Meaning "to grip with the hands or teeth" is from c.1300; that of "to take possession by force or capture" (of a city, etc.) is from 1338. Fig. use, with ref. to death, disease, fear, etc. is from c.1381. Meaning "to grasp with the mind" is attested from 1855. Of engines or other mechanisms, attested from 1878.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: seize
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: seized; seiz·ing
1 or seise : to put in possession of property or vest with the right of possession or succession seized of land>
2 : to take possession or custody of (property) esp. by lawful authority <seize drugs as evidence> seize the interest or property subject to forfeiture —Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 32(b)(2)> seize the goods subject to his security interest and…keep them in satisfaction of the debt —J. J. White and Railroad S. Summers> —compare FORECLOSE, REPOSSESS
3 : to detain (a person) in such circumstances as would lead a reasonable person to believe that he or she was not free to leave seized when surrounded by police officers> —seiz·able adjective
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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