seine

¹ American  

[seyn] / seɪn /

noun

1. a fishing net that hangs vertically in the water, having floats at the upper edge and sinkers at the lower.

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verb (used with object)

seined, seining

1. to fish for or catch with a seine.

2. to use a seine in (water).

verb (used without object)

seined, seining

1. to fish with a seine.

Seine ² American  

[seyn, sen] / seɪn, sɛn /

noun

1. a river in France, flowing NW through Paris to the English Channel. 480 miles (773 km) long.

2. a former department in N France.

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seine ¹ British  

/ seɪn /

noun

1. a large fishing net that hangs vertically in the water by means of floats at the top and weights at the bottom

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verb

1. to catch (fish) using this net

Seine ² British  

/ seɪn, sɛn /

noun

1. a river in N France, rising on the Plateau de Langres and flowing northwest through Paris to the English Channel: the second longest river in France, linked by canal with the Rivers Somme, Scheldt, Meuse, Rhine, Saône, and Loire. Length: 776 km (482 miles)

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Etymology

Origin of seine

before 950; Middle English seyne, Old English segne < West Germanic *sagina < Latin sagēna < Greek sagḗnē fishing net

Example Sentences

Many birds drown in purse seine nets each year.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2025

The fishing practices, including trawling and the use of gill and seine nets, were shown to cause physical pressures such as abrasion, smothering, siltation and total habitat loss.

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2024

Using a seine, the Karuk Tribe fisheries team formed a circle and pulled up their catch.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 4, 2024

The most common method used to catch oily fish is known as "seine" fishing, one of the most environmentally friendly fishing techniques in use today:

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2024

I walked afterward by the side of a seine two hundred fathoms in length, spread upon the grass in order to contract the meshes.

From Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast by Drake, Samuel Adams