seal

Noun

A pinniped (Pinnipedia), particularly an earless seal (true seal) or eared seal.

Verb

To hunt seals.

Verb

1. (transitive) To place a seal on (a document).
2. To mark with a stamp, as an evidence of standard exactness, legal size, or merchantable quality.
3. (transitive) To fasten (something) so that it cannot be opened without visible damage.
4. (transitive) To prevent people or vehicles from crossing (something).
5. (transitive) To close securely to prevent leakage.
6. (transitive) To place in a sealed container.
7. (transitive) To place a notation of one's next move in a sealed envelope to be opened after an adjournment.
8. (transitive) To guarantee.
9. To fix, as a piece of iron in a wall, with cement or plaster, etc.
10. To close by means of a seal.
11. (Mormonism) To bind eternally as family members.
12. To form a sacred commitment.
13. (transitive) To fry (meat) at a high temperature to retain the juices.

Verb

To tie up animals (especially cattle) in their stalls.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/siːl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: sele

Inherited from Old English: seolh

Cognate with Scots: selch

Cognate with Northern Frisian: selich

Cognate with Middle Dutch: seel

Cognate with Old High German: selah

Cognate with Danish: sæl

Cognate with Middle Low German: sale

Cognate with English: sullow

Cognate with Finnish: hylki

Cognate with Estonian: hüljes

Inherited from Middle English: *selen

Cognate with Middle English: sele

Inherited from Old English: sǣlan

In summary

From Middle English sele, from an inflectional form of Old English seolh, from Proto-West Germanic *selh, from Proto-Germanic *selhaz (compare Scots selch,selkie, North Frisian selich, Middle Dutch seel, zēle, Old High German selah, Danish sæl, Middle Low German sale), Icelandic selur, either from Proto-Indo-European *selk- (“to pull”) (compare dialectal English sullow (“plough”)) or from early Proto-Finnic *šülkeš (later *hülgeh, compare dialectal Finnish hylki, standard hylje, Estonian hüljes).

Synonyms

stamp

close

mark

signet

imprint

plug

symbol

shut

block

chop

close tightly

seal up

sign

cachet

cork

impress

sea-dog

fasten

sealskin

secure

emblem

stop

🛑

insignia

affix a seal

varnish

token

seal off

shut off

sealing

sealing wax

lock

🔒

impression

gasket

sea calf

place under a seal

concentrate

brand

stop up

stopper

seal of approval

ratify

blockade

print

caulk

lead

obturate

paste

coop in

confinement

condense

Translations

sceau

🦭

phoque

🦭

Siegel

🦭

foca

🦭

Robbe

🦭

sello

🦭

sigillo

🦭

Seehund

foca

🦭

selo

🦭

sceller

🦭

sellar

foca

zeehond

🦭

foka