seize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to take hold of suddenly or forcibly; grasp.
to seize a weapon.
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to grasp mentally; understand clearly and completely.
to seize an idea.
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to take possession of by force or at will.
to seize enemy ships.
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to take possession or control of as if by suddenly laying hold.
Panic seized the crowd.
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to take possession of by legal authority; confiscate.
to seize smuggled goods.
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Law. Also to put (someone) in seizin or legal possession of property (usually used in passive constructions).
She was seized of vast estates.
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to capture; take into custody.
- Antonyms:
- release
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to take advantage of promptly.
to seize an opportunity.
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Nautical. to bind or fasten together with a seizing.
verb (used without object)
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to grab or take hold suddenly or forcibly (usually followed by on orupon ).
to seize on a rope.
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to resort to a method, plan, etc., in desperation (usually followed by on orupon ).
He must seize on a solution, however risky.
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to have moving parts bind and stop moving as a result of excessive pressure, temperature, or friction (usually followed byup ).
The engine seized up from cold.
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to have a seizure, as of epilepsy.
He seized for about five minutes and then lost consciousness.
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(of melted chocolate) to become grainy and clumpy from overheating or from contact with a small amount of moisture (often followed byup ).
If the butter is too cold, the frosting will seize.
verb
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to take hold of quickly; grab
she seized her hat and ran for the bus
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to grasp mentally, esp rapidly
she immediately seized his idea
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to take mental possession of
alarm seized the crowd
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to take possession of rapidly and forcibly
the thief seized the woman's purse
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to take legal possession of; take into custody
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to take by force or capture
the army seized the undefended town
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to take immediate advantage of
to seize an opportunity
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nautical to bind (two ropes together or a piece of gear to a rope) See also serve
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(of mechanical parts) to become jammed, esp because of excessive heat
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to be apprised of; conversant with
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the usual US spelling of seise
Related Words
See catch.
Other Word Forms
- reseize verb (used with object)
- seizable adjective
- seizer noun
- unseizable adjective
Etymology
Origin of seize
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English saisen, seisen, from Old French saisir, from Medieval Latin sacīre “to place” (in phrase sacīre ad propriētam “to take as one's own, lay claim to”), from Frankish, perhaps akin to Gothic satjan “to set, put, place”; set
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Citing witnesses, it said that the militants had seized control of the town for a few hours.
From Barron's
On Dec. 30, a federal judge cleared the way for the government to seize $5.2 million in assets from Bock.
From Salon
More than 34 million doses were seized in the two most recent years, according to data released in a Freedom of Information request to the MHRA.
From BBC
New powers allowing mobile phones to be seized from illegal migrants without arresting them have come into force.
From BBC
The opposition doesn’t appear to have the means to seize power, the Dragonfly analysts said.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
