Definitions for: Seize


[v] capture the attention or imagination of; "This story will grab you"; "The movie seized my imagination"
[v] affect; "Fear seized the prisoners"; "The patient was seized with unberable pains"; "He was seized with a dreadful disease"
[v] take hold of; grab; "The salesclerk 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"
[v] take or capture by force; "The terrorists seized the politicians"; "The rebels threaten to seize civilian hostages"
[v] hook by a pull on the line; "strike a fish"
[v] take possession of without permission or take with force, as after a conquest or invasion; "the invaders seized the land and property of the inhabitants"; "The army seized the town"; "The militia captured the castle"
[v] 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"
[v] 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"



Webster (1913) Definition: Seize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Seized; p. pr. & vb. n.
Seizing.] [OE. seisen, saisen, OF. seisir, saisir, F.
saisir, of Teutonic origin, and akin to E. set. The meaning
is properly, to set, put, place, hence, to put in possession
of. See Set, v. t.]
1. To fall or rush upon suddenly and lay hold of; to gripe or
grasp suddenly; to reach and grasp.

For by no means the high bank he could seize.
--Spenser.

Seek you to seize and gripe into your hands The
royalties and rights of banished Hereford? --Shak.



2. To take possession of by force.

At last they seize The scepter, and regard not
David's sons. --Milton.

3. To invade suddenly; to take sudden hold of; to come upon
suddenly; as, a fever seizes a patient.

Hope and deubt alternate seize her seul. --Pope.

4. (law) To take possession of by virtue of a warrant or
other legal authority; as, the sheriff seized the debtor's
goods.

5. To fasten; to fix. [Obs.]

As when a bear hath seized her cruel claws Upon the
carcass of some beast too weak. --Spenser.

6. To grap with the mind; to comprehend fully and distinctly;
as, to seize an idea.

7. (Naut.) To bind or fasten together with a lashing of small
stuff, as yarn or marline; as, to seize ropes.

Note: This word, by writers on law, is commonly written
seise, in the phrase to be seised of (an estate), as
also, in composition, disseise, disseisin.

To be seized of, to have possession, or right of
possession; as, A B was seized and possessed of the manor
of Dale. ``Whom age might see seized of what youth made
prize.'' --Chapman.

To seize on or upon, to fall on and grasp; to take hold
on; to take possession of suddenly and forcibly.

Syn: To catch; grasp; clutch; snatch; apprehend; arrest;
take; capture.

Synonyms: appropriate, arrogate, assume, attach, capture, clutch, clutch, confiscate, conquer, get hold of, grab, impound, prehend, sequester, take over, usurp

See Also: abduct, annex, apprehend, arrest, capture, carry, catch, clasp, claw, clench, clinch, collar, commandeer, cop, distrain, fascinate, garnishee, get, get hold of, grab, grapple, grip, highjack, hijack, hook, intrigue, kidnap, nab, nail, nobble, overcome, overpower, overtake, overwhelm, pick up, pirate, preoccupy, rack, raid, raven, snap, snatch, snatch up, sweep over, take, take, take hold of, whelm, wrest

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