seize
pronunciation
How to pronounce seize in British English:
UK [siːz]
How to pronounce seize in American English:
US [siːz]
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- Verb:
- take hold of; grab
- take or capture by force
- take possession of by force, as after an invasion
- take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority
- seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession
- hook by a pull on the line
- affect
- capture the attention or imagination of
Word Origin
- seize
- seize: [13] Seize entered English as a term in the feudal legal system, meaning ‘take possession of property’. It was borrowed from Old French seisir, which went back via a Gallo-Latin *sacīre ‘claim’ to a prehistoric Germanic *sakjan. This in turn was derived from the base *sak- ‘process’, which also produced English sake (one of whose ancestral meanings was ‘legal action’).=> sake
- seize (v.)
- mid-13c., from Old French seisir "to take possession of, take by force; put in possession of, bestow upon" (Modern French saisir), from Late Latin sacire, which is generally held to be from a Germanic source, but the exact origin is uncertain. Perhaps from Frankish *sakjan "lay claim to" (compare Gothic sokjan, Old English secan "to seek;" see seek). Or perhaps from Proto-Germanic *satjan "to place" (see set (v.)). Originally a legal term in reference to feudal property holdings or offices. Meaning "to grip with the hands or teeth" is from c. 1300; that of "to take possession by force or capture" (of a city, etc.) is from mid-14c. Figurative use, with reference to death, disease, fear, etc. is from late 14c. Meaning "to grasp with the mind" is attested from 1855. Of engines or other mechanisms, attested from 1878. Related: Seized; seizing.
Antonym
Example
- 1. America 's friends must also seize the moment .
- 2. Mr nixon and mr kissinger did seize diplomatic opportunities with consummate skill .
- 3. Discovery is trying to seize a similar first-mover advantage in high-definition television .
- 4. Israel 's goal is to seize all of palestine and the water resources of southern lebanon .
- 5. Companies frequently undertake suicidal contests with rivals in a desperate attempt to seize market share .