seise
seise — verb
- seisepresent simple I / you / we / they
- seises3rd person singular
- seising-ing form
- seisedpast simple
1. to give a person legal ownership of land, property, or the right to inherit it,
to give a person legal ownership of land, property, or the right to inherit it, according to the rules of law
After their father died, the court seised Ari and his sister of the family farm.
passive: be seised of [property]
The solicitor explained the museum was seised of the painting under the will.
The lord seised his knight of the land in return for military service.
The judge seised the eldest daughter of the estate after declaring the will valid.
文法句型
be seised of [property]
用法筆記
Almost always used in formal legal contexts, often in the passive voice ('be seised of'). The person receiving ownership is the object, and the property follows 'of'.
常見錯誤
2. to officially take someone's property through a legal process in order to settle
to officially take someone's property through a legal process in order to settle a debt or other financial obligation
The bailiff seised the debtor's car and furniture to settle the unpaid loan.
seise [property] for debt
The tax authority seised the company's equipment when it failed to pay its taxes.
A court order allowed the bank to seise the merchant's warehouse and stock.
The harbour master seised the fishing boat for three years of unpaid docking fees.
Under the court order, the sheriff seised all goods stored at the port warehouse.
- confiscate
more general and common; implies taking as a penalty but not always through formal court process
- impound
specifically means taking something into official custody temporarily, not permanently
文法句型
seise [property]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: in sense 1 the subject gives ownership TO someone; in sense 2 the subject takes property AWAY from someone. The object of sense 2 is always the property itself, not the person.
常見錯誤
3. to take something illegal, dangerous, or prohibited away from someone by officia
to take something illegal, dangerous, or prohibited away from someone by official authority as a penalty or enforcement action
Customs officers seised the smuggled diamonds at the airport checkpoint.
subject: official body
Police seised over two hundred counterfeit watches during the market raid.
The government seised the weapons from the rebel group's hidden store.
Airport security seised the passenger's lighter before he boarded the plane.
The military seised all communication tools found at the captured camp.
- confiscate
the more common everyday word; 'seise' in this sense is chiefly legal and formal
- impound
usually temporary custody rather than permanent taking
文法句型
seise [something] (from [someone])
用法筆記
Subject is typically an official body or authority (police, customs, government). The object is always something illegal, dangerous, or prohibited, unlike sense 2 where property is taken lawfully to settle a debt. This sense emphasises punishment, not debt recovery.
4. to take a person into legal custody or stop them from leaving a place because of
to take a person into legal custody or stop them from leaving a place because of suspected wrongdoing
The detective seised the suspect outside the train station at dawn.
formal alternative to 'arrest'
Border police seised the traveller when his false passport was discovered.
The witness was seised and held for questioning about the robbery.
After the protest, the authorities seised three organisers and held them overnight.
文法句型
seise [person]
用法筆記
Much more formal than 'arrest' and rarely used in modern everyday language. Appears mostly in legal documents and formal reports.
常見錯誤
5. to quickly and forcefully grab something or someone, often to prevent harm or lo
to quickly and forcefully grab something or someone, often to prevent harm or loss
The firefighter seised the child's arm and pulled her from the burning house.
seise + body part for rescue
The sailor seised the rope just before it slipped over the side of the boat.
Aunt Rania seised the vase as it began to tip off the shelf.
The guard seised the thief's wrist before he could grab the necklace.
Daichi seised the railing when the ship lurched suddenly to one side.
文法句型
seise [something/someone]
用法筆記
More dramatic and literary than 'grab' or 'take hold of'. In this physical sense, the spelling 'seize' is far more common in modern English.
常見錯誤
6. to understand something completely and clearly, especially a complex idea, situa
to understand something completely and clearly, especially a complex idea, situation, or meaning
The young lawyer quickly seised the main point of the judge's argument.
seise the point / the meaning
The committee took a moment to seise the full importance of her discovery.
The general seised the strategic value of the hill position at once.
Amani seised the implications of the contract's final clause immediately.
Few people in the room could fully seise the seriousness of the situation.
- grasp
the most natural synonym for quickly understanding; works in both formal and informal contexts
- comprehend
similar register to 'seise' but more common in academic writing
- apprehend
equally formal but more common in philosophical or technical contexts
- miss
to fail to understand or notice
- misunderstand
to understand incorrectly
文法句型
seise [that-clause]
seise [what/why/how + clause]
用法筆記
Very formal and literary. In modern English, 'grasp', 'comprehend', or simply 'understand' are far more common. This sense is nearly always used with an adverb like 'fully' or 'quickly'.
常見錯誤
7. to affect someone suddenly and with great force, especially when a strong emotio
to affect someone suddenly and with great force, especially when a strong emotion, pain, or illness takes control of them — for example, being seized by panic, seized with regret, or seized by a sudden fever
Panic suddenly seised Sofia as she walked onto the dark stage.
active: emotion + seise + person
The old man was seised by a terrible cough that shook his whole body.
passive: be seized + by + illness
A deep sadness seised Hamza whenever he thought of his hometown.
The hikers were seised with fear when the storm hit the mountain trail.
Marta felt a strange excitement seise her as the train pulled into the station.
- release
opposite of being held by a strong force or emotion
文法句型
seise + object
be seized + by/with + [emotion/illness/pain]
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice. The subject is typically a sudden emotion (fear, panic, regret, sadness), an illness (cough, fever, pain), or a natural force. The active form (e.g. 'Panic seized her') is less common but grammatically correct.
常見錯誤
8. to tie two ropes, cables, or cords tightly together using thin cord or wire, esp
to tie two ropes, cables, or cords tightly together using thin cord or wire, especially when working on a ship
The sailor taught Elena how to seise the broken rope with thick marline.
transitive with 'with + [material]'
Xiu seised the two lines together to keep the sail from tearing in the wind.
Before the storm, the crew seised every loose cable to the deck rail.
The rigger used fine wire to seise the new flag line to the mast.
文法句型
seise + object + together/to + object
用法筆記
This is a specialist nautical term used almost exclusively in sailing and ship-rigging contexts. Outside those settings, 'seise' is extremely rare and may confuse readers.
9. if a mechanical part or engine seises, it stops moving because two surfaces have
if a mechanical part or engine seises, it stops moving because two surfaces have rubbed together too hard, got too hot, or lost their lubrication, making them stick
The car engine seised after Emre forgot to add oil for several months.
intransitive: engine + seise
Without water, the pump bearings seised and the whole irrigation system stopped.
The old tractor wheel seised up when rust filled the gap between the moving parts.
Hoa tried to turn the garden tap, but the valve had seised from years of disuse.
- jam
can be transitive or intransitive; 'jam' often implies something blocking movement, while 'seise' implies parts fusing together
- lock up
similar meaning but also used for non-mechanical things like computer software
- stick
broader and less severe; a stuck part may still move with effort, but a seized part cannot
- run freely
opposite of a seized mechanical part
- turn smoothly
describes a properly lubricated mechanism
文法句型
seise
seise up
用法筆記
Commonly used with engines, pumps, brake systems, locks, and valves. The phrasal form 'seise up' is interchangeable in most contexts. Never used transitively in this sense — you cannot 'seise an engine'; the engine seises on its own.