seize
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Related to seize: seize the opportunity, Seize the moment
seize
take hold of suddenly and forcibly; grab; overwhelm; to take possession by force
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
seize
(sēz)v. seized, seiz·ing, seiz·es
v.tr.
1. To grasp suddenly and forcibly; take or grab: seize a sword.
2.
a. To take by force; capture or conquer: The kidnappers seized the prince. The invaders seized the city.
b. To take quick and forcible possession of; confiscate: The police seized a cache of illegal drugs.
3.
a. To focus the attention or intellect on: seize an idea and develop it to the fullest extent.
b. To make use of (an opportunity, for example).
4.
a. To have a sudden overwhelming effect on: a heinous crime that seized the minds and emotions of the populace.
b. To overwhelm physically: a person who was seized with a terminal disease.
5. also seise (sēz) Law To cause (someone) to be in possession of something.
6. Nautical To bind (a rope) to another, or to a spar, with turns of small line.
v.intr.
Phrasal Verb: 1. To lay sudden or forcible hold of something.
2.
a. To cohere or fuse with another part as a result of high pressure or temperature and restrict or prevent further motion or flow.
b. To come to a halt: The talks seized up and were rescheduled.
3. To exhibit signs of seizure activity, often with convulsions.
seize on
To focus one's attention or intellect on: seized on the notion of gender as a cultural construct.
[Middle English seisen, from Old French seisir, to take possession, of Germanic origin.]
seiz′a·ble adj.
seiz′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
seize
(siːz)vb (mainly tr)
1. (foll by: on ) to take hold of quickly; grab: she seized her hat and ran for the bus.
2. (sometimes foll by: on or upon) to grasp mentally, esp rapidly: she immediately seized his idea.
3. to take mental possession of: alarm seized the crowd.
4. to take possession of rapidly and forcibly: the thief seized the woman's purse.
5. (Law) to take legal possession of; take into custody
6. to take by force or capture: the army seized the undefended town.
7. to take immediate advantage of: to seize an opportunity.
8. (Nautical Terms) nautical to bind (two ropes together or a piece of gear to a rope). See also serve19
9. (Automotive Engineering) (often foll by: up) (of mechanical parts) to become jammed, esp because of excessive heat
10. (usually foll by: of) to be apprised of; conversant with
11. (Law) the US spelling of seise
[C13 saisen, from Old French saisir, from Medieval Latin sacīre to position, of Germanic origin; related to Gothic satjan to set1]
ˈseizable adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
seize
(siz)v. seized, seiz•ing. v.t.
1. to take hold of suddenly or forcibly; grasp: to seize a weapon.
2. to grasp mentally; understand clearly and completely: to seize an idea.
3. to take possession or control of as if by suddenly laying hold: Panic seized the crowd.
4. to take possession of by legal authority; confiscate.
5. to capture; take into custody.
6. to take advantage of promptly: to seize an opportunity.
7. to bind or fasten (rope) together with a seizing.
8. to put in seisin: to be seized of vast estates.
v.i. 9. to grab or take hold suddenly or forcibly: to seize on a rope.
10. to resort to a method, plan, etc., in desperation.
11. to have moving parts bind and stop moving as a result of excessive pressure, temperature, or friction.
[1250–1300; Middle English saisen, seisen < Old French saisir < Medieval Latin sacīre to place < Frankish]
seiz′a•ble, adj.
seiz′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
seize
To employ combat forces to occupy physically and to control a designated area. See also combat forces.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.
seize
Past participle: seized
Gerund: seizing
| Imperative |
|---|
| seize |
| seize |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | seize - take hold of; grab; "The sales clerk quickly seized the money on the counter"; "She clutched her purse"; "The mother seized her child by the arm"; "Birds of prey often seize small mammals" nab - seize suddenly rack - seize together, as of parallel ropes of a tackle in order to prevent running through the block claw - clutch as if in panic; "She clawed the doorknob" get hold of, take - get into one's hands, take physically; "Take a cookie!"; "Can you take this bag, please" arrest, collar, cop, nab, nail, apprehend, pick up - take into custody; "the police nabbed the suspected criminals" capture, catch, get - succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase; "We finally got the suspect"; "Did you catch the thief?" collar - seize by the neck or collar clasp - grasp firmly; "The child clasped my hands" grip - hold fast or firmly; "He gripped the steering wheel" grab - take or grasp suddenly; "She grabbed the child's hand and ran out of the room" grab, take hold of, catch - take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of; "Catch the ball!"; "Grab the elevator door!" |
| 2. | seize - take or capture by force; "The terrorists seized the politicians"; "The rebels threaten to seize civilian hostages" raven - obtain or seize by violence wrest - obtain by seizing forcibly or violently, also metaphorically; "wrest the knife from his hands"; "wrest a meaning from the old text"; "wrest power from the old government" get hold of, take - get into one's hands, take physically; "Take a cookie!"; "Can you take this bag, please" abduct, kidnap, nobble, snatch - take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom; "The industrialist's son was kidnapped" commandeer, highjack, hijack, pirate - take arbitrarily or by force; "The Cubans commandeered the plane and flew it to Miami" | |
| 3. |  seize - take possession of by force, as after an invasion; "the invaders seized the land and property of the inhabitants"; "The army seized the town"; "The militia captured the castle"take over, usurp, arrogate, seize, assume - seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession; "He assumed to himself the right to fill all positions in the town"; "he usurped my rights"; "She seized control of the throne after her husband died" carry - capture after a fight; "The troops carried the town after a brief fight" | |
| 4. |  seize - take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority; "The FBI seized the drugs"; "The customs agents impounded the illegal shipment"; "The police confiscated the stolen artwork"take - take into one's possession; "We are taking an orphan from Romania"; "I'll take three salmon steaks" condemn - appropriate (property) for public use; "the county condemned the land to build a highway" sequester - requisition forcibly, as of enemy property; "the estate was sequestered" garnish, garnishee - take a debtor's wages on legal orders, such as for child support; "His employer garnished his wages in order to pay his debt" distrain - confiscate by distress | |
| 5. |  seize - seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession; "He assumed to himself the right to fill all positions in the town"; "he usurped my rights"; "She seized control of the throne after her husband died"take - take by force; "Hitler took the Baltic Republics"; "The army took the fort on the hill" annex - take (territory) as if by conquest; "Hitler annexed Lithuania" appropriate, conquer, seize, capture - take possession of by force, as after an invasion; "the invaders seized the land and property of the inhabitants"; "The army seized the town"; "The militia captured the castle" preoccupy - occupy or take possession of beforehand or before another or appropriate for use in advance; "the army preoccupied the hills" hijack - seize control of; "they hijacked the judicial process" raid - take over (a company) by buying a controlling interest of its stock; "T. Boone Pickens raided many large companies" | |
| 6. | seize - hook by a pull on the line; "strike a fish" hook - catch with a hook; "hook a fish" | |
| 7. | seize - affect; "Fear seized the prisoners"; "The patient was seized with unbearable pains"; "He was seized with a dreadful disease" | |
| 8. | seize - capture the attention or imagination of; "This story will grab you"; "The movie seized my imagination" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
seize
verb
1. grab, grip, grasp, take, snatch, clutch, snap up, pluck, fasten, latch on to, lay hands on, catch or take hold of an otter seizing a fish
grab let go, loose
grab let go, loose
2. take by storm, take over, capture, take, acquire, occupy, conquer, overrun, annex, usurp Troops have seized the airport and radio terminals.
3. confiscate, appropriate, commandeer, impound, take possession of, requisition, sequester, expropriate, sequestrate Police were reported to have seized all copies the newspaper.
confiscate relinquish, hand back
confiscate relinquish, hand back
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
seize
verb1. To take firmly with the hand and maintain a hold on:
3. To lay claim to for oneself or as one's right:
5. To take into custody as a prisoner:
6. To take quick and forcible possession of:
Idiom: help oneself to.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَسْتَوْلي عَلىيَقْبِضُ عَلَىيَقْبِضُ على، يَحْجِزُ
chytitpopadnoutzmocnit se
gribekonfiskeretagebeslaglægge
tarttuatilaisuus
uhvatiti
megfogmegragad
òrífa, hrifsataka meî valdi
ぐいとつかむつかむ捉える
잡다
capere
areštuotinusitvertipagriebti
izmantotkonfiscētsagrābtsatvert
prijetizgrabiti
gripafånga
ฉกฉวย
nắm lấy
seize
[siːz]A. VT
1. (= physically take hold of) → coger, agarrar
to seize hold of sth/sb → coger or agarrar algo/a algn
to seize sb by the arm → coger or agarrar a algn por el brazo
to seize hold of sth/sb → coger or agarrar algo/a algn
to seize sb by the arm → coger or agarrar a algn por el brazo
4. (= kidnap) → secuestrar
5. (fig) [+ opportunity] → aprovechar
to be seized with fear/rage → estar sobrecogido por el miedo/la cólera
he was seized with a desire to leave → el deseo de marcharse se apoderó de él
to be seized with fear/rage → estar sobrecogido por el miedo/la cólera
he was seized with a desire to leave → el deseo de marcharse se apoderó de él
B. VI
see seize up
see seize up
seize on VI + PREP = seize upon
seize up VI + ADV [machine, limbs] → agarrotarse
seize upon VI + PREP [+ chance] → aprovechar; [+ idea] → fijarse en
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
seize
[ˈsiːz] vt (= take hold of, grab) → saisir
He seized my arm to hold me back → Il saisit mon bras pour me retenir.
He seized my arm to hold me back → Il saisit mon bras pour me retenir.
(= take possession of) → s'emparer de
Troops have seized the airport → Les troupes se sont emparées de l'aéroport.
to seize control of sth → s'emparer du contrôle de qch
to seize power → s'emparer du pouvoir
Troops have seized the airport → Les troupes se sont emparées de l'aéroport.
to seize control of sth → s'emparer du contrôle de qch
to seize power → s'emparer du pouvoir
(LAW) [+ possessions] → saisir
(= capture) → capturer
[+ opportunity, chance, initiative] → saisir
to seize sth with both hands [+ chance] → saisir qch à pleine mains
to seize sth with both hands [+ chance] → saisir qch à pleine mains
seize on
vt fus → saisir, sauter surseize up
vi [part of the body] → se bloquer
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
seize
vt
(= grasp) → packen, ergreifen; (as hostage) → nehmen; (= confiscate) → beschlagnahmen; passport → einziehen; ship (authorities) → beschlagnahmen; (pirates) → kapern; (= capture) town → einnehmen; train, building → besetzen; criminal → fassen; to seize somebody’s arm, to seize somebody by the arm → jdn am Arm packen
(fig) (= lay hold of: panic, fear, desire) → packen, ergreifen; power, leadership → an sich (acc) → reißen; (= leap upon) idea, suggestion → aufgreifen; opportunity, initiative → ergreifen; to seize the moment → den günstigen Augenblick wahrnehmen; to seize the day → den Tag nutzen; to seize control of something → etw unter Kontrolle bringen
vi = seize up
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
seize
[siːz] vt (clutch, grasp) → afferrare (Mil, Law) (person, territory, power) → prendere; (articles) → sequestrare; (opportunity) → cogliereto seize hold of sth/sb → afferrare qc/qn
he was seized with a fit of coughing → gli è venuto un accesso di tosse
she was seized with fear/rage → è stata presa dalla paura/rabbia
I was seized by the desire to laugh → mi è venuta una gran voglia di ridere
seize on seize upon vi + prep (chance, mistake) → non lasciarsi sfuggire; (idea) → sfruttare prontamente
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
seize
(siːz) verb1. to take or grasp suddenly, especially by force. She seized the gun from him; He seized her by the arm; He seized the opportunity of leaving.
2. to take, especially by force or by law. The police seized the stolen property.
ˈseizure (-ʒə) noun the act of seizing. seizure of property.
seize on to accept with enthusiasm. I suggested a cycling holiday, and he seized on the idea.
seize up (of machinery etc) to get stuck and stop working. The car seized up yesterday.
seize is spelt with -ei- (not -ie-).
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
seize
→ يَقْبِضُ عَلَى popadnout gribe ergreifen τσακώνω agarrar tarttua saisir uhvatiti afferrare ぐいとつかむ 잡다 in beslag nemen beslaglegge chwycić apoderar-se схватить gripa ฉกฉวย yakalamak nắm lấy 查获Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
seize
vi convulsionar, tener una convulsión, tener convulsionesEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.