Seize
Origin
Earlier seise, from Middle English seisen, sesen, saisen, from Old French seisir ("to take possession of; invest (person, court)"), from Medieval Latin sacÄ«re ("to lay claim to, appropriate") (8th century) in the phrase ad propriam sacire, from Old Low Frankish *sakjan ("to sue, bring legal action"), from Proto-Germanic *sakjanÄ…, *sakÅnÄ… (compare Old English sacian ("to strive, brawl")), from Proto-Germanic *sakanÄ… (compare Old Saxon sakan ("to accuse"), Old High German sahhan ("to bicker, quarrel, rebuke"), Old English sacan 'to quarrel, claim by law, accuse').
C.T. Onions, ed., Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, s.v. "seize" (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996), 807.
See sake.
Full definition of seize
Verb
- (transitive) to deliberately take hold of; to grab or capture
- (transitive) to take advantage of (an opportunity or circumstance)
- (transitive) to take possession of (by force, law etc.)to seize smuggled goodsto seize a ship after libeling
- (transitive) to have a sudden and powerful effect upona panic seized the crowda fever seized him
- (transitive, nautical) to bind, lash or make fast, with several turns of small rope, cord, or small lineto seize two fish-hooks back to backto seize or stop one rope on to another
- (transitive, obsolete) to fasten, fix
- (intransitive) to lay hold in seizure, by hands or claws (+ on or upon)to seize on the neck of a horseThe text which had seized upon his heart with such comfort and strength abode upon him for more than a year. (Southey, Bunyan, p. 21)
- (intransitive) to have a seizure
- 2012, Daniel M. Avery, Tales of a Country ObstetricianNearing what she thought was a climax, he started seizing and fell off her. Later, realizing he was dead, she became alarmed and dragged the body to his vehicle to make it look like he had died in his truck.
- (intransitive) to bind or lock in position immovably; see also seize upRust caused the engine to seize, never to run again.
- (UK, intransitive) to submit for consideration to a deliberative body.