Dictionary entries for 'seize'

Synonyms

seize (sēz)

[Middle English seisen, from Old French seisir, to take possession, of Germanic origin.]

verb: seized, seiz·ing, seiz·es.

To grasp suddenly and forcibly; take or grab: seize a sword.
1. To grasp with the mind; apprehend: seize an idea and develop it to the fullest extent.
2. To possess oneself of (something): seize an opportunity.
1. To have a sudden overwhelming effect on: a heinous crime that seized the minds and emotions of the populace.
2. To overwhelm physically: a person who was seized with a terminal disease.
To take into custody; capture.
To take quick and forcible possession of; confiscate: seize a cache of illegal drugs.
1. To put (one) into possession of something.
2. To vest ownership of a feudal property in.
Nautical To bind (a rope) to another, or to a spar, with turns of small line.

To lay sudden or forcible hold of.
1. To cohere or fuse with another part as a result of high pressure or temperature and restrict or prevent further motion or flow.
2. To come to a halt: The talks seized up and were rescheduled.
To exhibit symptoms of seizure activity, usually with convulsions.