seized

[seezd]

adjective

1. taken hold, possession, or control of, as by force or legal authority; confiscated, captured, or appropriated.

   Police say the seized property includes knives, computer equipment, a balaclava, and military clothing.

   Settlers were observed planting olive trees on illegally seized land.

2. (of an opportunity) taken advantage of promptly.

   Everything that Mom and I had accomplished was rooted firmly in the soil of hard work and seized opportunities.

3. (of moving parts) locked or jammed, as from excessive friction (often followed byup ).

   I gladly pay top dollar for lubricants and fluids, because I know it's far more expensive to have to rebuild a seized engine!

4. having ceased to function; having come to a halt (often followed byup ).

   Businesses need to access credit lines to function, but now the credit market is totally seized up.

5. fully understood; mentally grasped.

   People who need cognitive closure will absorb a statement early in the process of acquiring knowledge, "freeze" on that seized idea, and resist further information.

6. (of melted chocolate) grainy and clumpy from overheating or from contact with a small amount of moisture.

   To reverse the reaction, add more liquid, but just enough to dissolve most of the sugar and cocoa particles in the seized chocolate clumps.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of seize.

Other Word Forms

• unseized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of seized¹

seize ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

A total of 65 devices, forged identification documents and money transfer records were seized during the operation there.

From BBC

The day before, the 45-year-old Moore had been detained by San Francisco police officers who seized a gun from her.

From Los Angeles Times

Bailey seized on the fight as evidence of what he called the Hazelwood School District’s misplaced priorities.

From Salon

The devices were seized from SIM farms at abandoned apartment buildings across more than five sites.

From BBC

Israel seized the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, and has never left.

From BBC

Related Words

• captured www.thesaurus.com