Seize, v. t.
v. t. [imp. & p. p. SEIZED; p. pr. & vb. n. SEIZING.] [Fr. saisir, O. Fr. saisir, Pr. sazir, It. sagire, from O. H. Ger. sazjan, to set, bi-sazjan; N. H. Ger. besetzen, to occupy, to seize.]
Sense 1. To fall or rush upon suddenly and lay hold on; to gripe or grasp suddenly.
*Seek you to seize and gripe into your hands The royalties and rights of banished Hereford?* Shak.
Sense 2. To take possession of by force, with or without right.
*At last they seize The scepter, and regard not David’s son.* Milton.
Sense 3. To invade suddenly; to take hold of; to come upon suddenly; as, a fever seizes a patient.
Hope and doubt alternate seize her soul. Pope.
Sense 4. To take possession of by virtue of a warrant or legal authority; as, the sheriff seized the debtor’s goods.
Sense 5. To fasten; to fix.
*As when a bear hath seized his cruel claws Upon the carcass of some beast too weak.* Spenser.
Sense 6. To reach; to attain to.
For by no means the high bank he could seize. Spenser.
Sense 7. (Naut.) To bind or fasten together, as ropes.
It is to be observed that this word, in writers on law, is usually written seise, as also, in composition, disseise, disseisin, redisseise. But, except in law, it is usually or always written seize. It is desirable that the orthography should be uniform.
To be seized of, to have 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.
Synonyms—To catch; grasp; clutch; snatch; apprehend; arrest; take; capture.