Definitions for seize
sizseize

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 2 votes

1. seize, prehend, clutchverb

   take hold of; grab

   "The sales clerk quickly seized the money on the counter"; "She clutched her purse"; "The mother seized her child by the arm"; "Birds of prey often seize small mammals"

2. seizeverb

   take or capture by force

   "The terrorists seized the politicians"; "The rebels threaten to seize civilian hostages"

3. appropriate, capture, seize, conquerverb

   take possession of by force, as after an invasion

   "the invaders seized the land and property of the inhabitants"; "The army seized the town"; "The militia captured the castle"

4. impound, attach, sequester, confiscate, seizeverb

   take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority

   "The FBI seized the drugs"; "The customs agents impounded the illegal shipment"; "The police confiscated the stolen artwork"

5. assume, usurp, seize, take over, arrogateverb

   seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession

   "He assumed to himself the right to fill all positions in the town"; "he usurped my rights"; "She seized control of the throne after her husband died"

6. seizeverb

   hook by a pull on the line

   "strike a fish"

7. seize, clutch, get hold ofverb

   affect

   "Fear seized the prisoners"; "The patient was seized with unbearable pains"; "He was seized with a dreadful disease"

8. grab, seizeverb

   capture the attention or imagination of

   "This story will grab you"; "The movie seized my imagination"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. seizeverb

   to deliberately take hold of; to grab or capture

2. seizeverb

   to take advantage of (an opportunity or circumstance)

3. seizeverb

   to take possession of (by force, law etc.)

4. seizeverb

   to have a sudden and powerful effect upon

5. seizeverb

   to bind, lash or make fast, with several turns of small rope, cord, or small line

6. seizeverb

   to fasten, fix

7. seizeverb

   to lay hold in seizure, by hands or claws (+ on or upon)

8. seizeverb

   to have a seizure

9. seizeverb

   to bind or lock in position immovably; see also seize up

   Rust caused the engine to seize, never to run again.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To SEIZEverb

   Etymology: saisir, French.

   1. To take possession of; to grasp; to lay hold on; to fasten on.

   In her sad breast the prince’s fortunes rowl,
   And hope and doubt alternate seize her soul. Alexander Pope.

   2. To take forcible possession of by law.

   An escheator of London had arrested a clothier that was outlawed, and seized his goods. William Camden.

   It was judged by the highest kind of judgment, that he should be banished, and his whole estate confiscated and seized, and his houses pulled down. Francis Bacon.

   3. To make possessed.

   So th’ one for wrong, the other strives for right:
   As when a griffin, seized of his prey,
   A dragon fierce encount’reth in his flight,
   Through wildest air making his idle way. Fa. Queen.

   So Pluto, seiz’d of Proserpine, convey’d
   To hell’s tremenduous gloom th’ affrighted maid,
   There grimly smil’d, pleas’d with the beauteous prize,
   Nor envy’d Jove his sunshine and his skies. Joseph Addison, Cato.

2. To Seizeverb

   To fix the grasp or the power on any thing.

   Fairest Cordelia,
   Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon:
   Be’t lawful I take up what’s cast away? William Shakespeare, K. Lear.

   Where there is a design of supplanting, that necessarily requires another of accusing: even Jezebel projects not to seize on Naboth’s vineyard without a precedent charge. Dec. of Piety.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Seizeverb

   to fall or rush upon suddenly and lay hold of; to gripe or grasp suddenly; to reach and grasp

2. Seizeverb

   to take possession of by force

3. Seizeverb

   to invade suddenly; to take sudden hold of; to come upon suddenly; as, a fever seizes a patient

4. Seizeverb

   to take possession of by virtue of a warrant or other legal authority; as, the sheriff seized the debtor's goods

5. Seizeverb

   to fasten; to fix

6. Seizeverb

   to grap with the mind; to comprehend fully and distinctly; as, to seize an idea

7. Seizeverb

   to bind or fasten together with a lashing of small stuff, as yarn or marline; as, to seize ropes

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Seize

   Seize are a British electronic band.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Seize

   sēz,—v.t. to take possession of forcibly: to take hold of: to grasp: to apprehend by legal authority: to come upon suddenly: to lash or make fast.—v.i. to lay hold of with the claws: in metallurgy, to cohere.—adj. Seiz′able.—ns. Seiz′er; Seiz′ing, the act of taking hold: (naut.) the operation of lashing with several turns of a cord. [O. Fr. saisir (Prov. sazir, to take possession of)—Old High Ger. sazzan, to set, Ger. setzen, Eng. set.]

Dictionary of Military and Associated TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. seize

   To employ combat forces to occupy physically and to control a designated area.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Seize

   Seize vs. Cease -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Seize and Cease.

Matched Categories

1. • Hook
   • Intrigue
   • Sweep Over
   • Take
   • Take Over

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'seize' in Verbs Frequency: #617

How to pronounce seize?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say seize in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of seize in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of seize in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of seize in a Sentence

1. Elaine Yu:

   Many media groups here are also saying it'll get harder for reporters to get people to talk to them because the police can now potentially seize reporters files and devices through a court warrant.

2. Liana Bertok:

   Seize the day !

3. Army Brigadier General Ernie Audino:

   Each square kilometer they seize from ISIS is another square kilometer they have to secure and administer, and they are not receiving any additional resources from the U.S. or Baghdad to do this.

4. North Carolina:

   From the outset, Democrats made clear their intentions of leveraging an activist judiciary to seize political gain despite the Republican-led legislature’s open, transparent, constitutional process, the NCGOP looks forward to another open, constitutional process for the legislature to redraw these maps and sincerely hope the constitutional order is not upended yet again by Democrats writing policy from the bench.

5. Senator Tom Carper of Delaware:

   Repeatedly, I have urged this administration to strike a deal with the State of California and seize the win-win opportunity to keep the American auto industry globally competitive and create more good paying jobs here at home while protecting our environment.

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