seal

¹

[ seel ]

noun

1. an embossed emblem, figure, symbol, word, letter, etc., used as attestation or evidence of authenticity:

   Without the seal, the certificate is useless.

2. a stamp, medallion, ring, etc., engraved with such a device, for impressing paper, wax, lead, or the like:

   The king took the seal from his finger and applied it to the document.

3. the impression so obtained:

   It was unmistakably the royal seal on the document.

4. a mark or symbol attached to a legal document and imparting a formal character to it, originally wax with an impression:

   Part of his job was stamping the lawyer's seal next to each of her signatures.

5. a piece of wax or similar adhesive substance so attached to an envelope, folded document, etc., that it must be broken when the object is opened, insuring that the contents have not been tampered with or altered.
6. anything that tightly or completely closes or secures a thing, as closures or fastenings for doors and railroad cars, adhesive stamps and tapes used to secure the flap of an envelope, etc.
7. something that keeps a thing secret:

   Her vow was the seal that kept her silent.

8. a decorative stamp, especially as given to contributors to a charitable fund:

   a Christmas seal.

9. a mark, sign, symbol, or the like, serving as visible evidence of something.
10. anything that serves as assurance, confirmation, or bond:

    She gave the plan her seal of approval.

11. Plumbing.
    1. a small amount of water held by a trap to exclude foul gases from a sewer or the like.
    2. the depth of the part of the water that actually excludes the gases.
12. the seals, British. the tokens or signs of public office.

verb (used with object)

1. to affix a seal to in authorization, testimony, etc.
2. to assure, confirm, or bind with or as if with a seal:

   They sealed the bargain with a handshake.

3. to impress a seal upon as evidence of legal or standard exactness, measure, quality, etc.
4. to close by any form of fastening that must be broken before access can be gained.
5. to fasten or close tightly by or as if by a seal:

   She was sealing envelopes. My lips are sealed.

6. to decide irrevocably:

   to seal someone's fate.

7. to grant under one's seal or authority, as a pardon.
8. Mormon Church. to make (a marriage or adoption) forever binding; solemnize.
9. Electricity. to bring (a plug and jack or socket) into locked or fully aligned position.

verb phrase

1. 1. to close hermetically:

      to seal off a jar.

   2. to block (an entrance, area, etc.) completely so as to prevent escape or entrance:

      The police sealed off the area after the bomb threat was received.

seal

²

[ seel ]

noun

, plural seals, seal.

1. any of numerous marine carnivores of the suborder Pinnipedia, including the eared or fur seals, as the sea lion, and the earless or hair seals, as the harbor seal.
2. the skin of such an animal.
3. leather made from this skin.
4. the fur of the fur seal; sealskin.
5. a fur used as a substitute for sealskin.
6. a dark, gray brown.

verb (used without object)

1. to hunt, kill, or capture seals.

seal

³

[ seel ]

verb (used with object)

, Falconry.

1. seel ( def 1 ).

SEAL

⁴

[ seel ]

noun

1. a member of the U.S. Navy’s special operations forces.

seal

¹

/ siːl /

noun

1. a device impressed on a piece of wax, moist clay, etc, fixed to a letter, document, etc, as a mark of authentication
2. a stamp, ring, etc, engraved with a device to form such an impression
3. a substance, esp wax, so placed over an envelope, document, etc, that it must be broken before the object can be opened or used
4. any substance or device used to close or fasten tightly
5. a material, such as putty or cement, that is used to close an opening to prevent the passage of air, water, etc
6. a small amount of water contained in the trap of a drain to prevent the passage of foul smells
7. an agent or device for keeping something hidden or secret
8. anything that gives a pledge or confirmation
9. a decorative stamp often sold in aid of charity
10. Also calledseal of confession RC Church the obligation never to reveal anything said by a penitent in confession
11. set one's seal on
    set one's seal onset one's seal to
    1. to mark with one's sign or seal
    2. to endorse

verb

1. to affix a seal to, as proof of authenticity
2. to stamp with or as if with a seal
3. to approve or authorize
4. sometimes foll by up to close or secure with or as if with a seal

   to seal one's lips

   seal up a letter

5. foll by off to enclose (a place) with a fence, wall, etc
6. to decide irrevocably
7. Mormon Church to make (a marriage or adoption) perpetually binding
8. to subject (the outside of meat, etc) to fierce heat so as to retain the juices during cooking
9. to close tightly so as to render airtight or watertight
10. to paint (a porous material) with a nonporous coating
11. to consolidate (a road surface) with bitumen, tar, etc

seal

²

/ siːl /

noun

1. See earless seal, eared seal
   any pinniped mammal of the families Otariidae (eared seals) and Phocidae (earless seals) that are aquatic but come on shore to breed See eared seal earless seal otaridphocine
2. any earless seal (family Phocidae ), esp the common or harbour seal or the grey seal ( Halichoerus grypus )
3. sealskin

verb

1. intr to hunt for seals

seal

/ sēl /

1. Any of various aquatic carnivorous mammals of the families Phocidae and Otariidae, having a sleek, torpedo-shaped body and limbs that are modified into paddlelike flippers. Seals live chiefly in the Northern Hemisphere and, like walruses, are pinnipeds.

Derived Forms

• ˈsealable, adjective
• ˈseal-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• seal·a·ble adjective
• re·seal·a·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of seal¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun sel(e), selle, seal(e) “an identifying impressed mark on a document,” from Old French seel, seal(e), seil ( French sceau ), from unattested Vulgar Latin sigellum, segellum, from Latin sigillum “statuette, flgure on a signet ring,” diminutive of signum “an identifying mark written, impressed, or affixed; point, impression”; verb sele(n), seale(n), seil(en), from Old French seeler, sealer, seieler, derivative of seel; sign

Origin of seal²

First recorded before 900; Middle English sel(e), cel(e), zel(e), Old English seolh; cognate with Old Norse selr, Old High German selah

Origin of seal³

se(a) a(ir) l(and) (team)

Word History and Origins

Origin of seal¹

C13 seel, from Old French, from Latin sigillum little figure, from signum a sign

Origin of seal²

Old English seolh; related to Old Norse selr, Old High German selah, Old Irish selige tortoise

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. seal / close the deal. seal the deal.
2. set one's seal to, to give one's approval to; authorize; endorse:

   Both families have set their seal to the marriage.

More idioms and phrases containing seal

• lips are sealed
• set one's seal on
• signed, sealed and delivered

Example Sentences

If you want to take things further, you can sew a zipper to the open side of the sack to seal it up.

From Popular-Science

Recently, the S&P Dow Jones Indices announced that the company would join the Dow Jones Industrial Average, replacing industrial stalwart Exxon—a sort of seal of approval that puts Salesforce in lofty company.

From Fortune

Lids or seals are generally required, but some states say drinks also need to be transported in the trunk.

From Fortune

Some snails survive the trip through fish and birds by sealing their shells and waiting it out.

From Science News

The suit consists of a pair of overalls with built-in shoes and a seal around the waist.

From Science News

Fellow SEAL Matt Bissonnette also claims to have shot bin Laden.

From The Daily Beast

Vreeland believes that in the end, his grandmother put her subtle seal of approval on his lifestyle.

From The Daily Beast

Simultaneously, a brigade of mercenaries and Congolese soldiers would seal off the city and expel the guerrillas.

From The Daily Beast

Now the lead breacher explained how he cut through the steel doors bin Laden used to seal himself into the compound at night.

From The Daily Beast

The father had known tragedy with the death of his son, the former SEAL, when he was just 51.

From The Daily Beast

In truth, it was so intently engaged with a sleeping seal that it had not observed the approach of the sledge.

From Project Gutenberg

With this I will end this letter, leaving it in this state until it is time to seal it, in case anything should occur to be added.

From Project Gutenberg

On breaking the seal, a letter at the top of a bundle of papers presented itself.

From Project Gutenberg

Richard Cromwell's parliament dissolved by commission under the great seal, at the instance of Desborough.

From Project Gutenberg

Go, young man, and tell the tree to come hither, and the tree will obey you when you show it my seal.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• imprimatur
• insignia
• sticker
• tape