seized

[ seezd ]

adjective

1. taken hold, possession, or control of, as by force or legal authority; confiscated, captured, or appropriated:

   Police say the seized property includes knives, computer equipment, a balaclava, and military clothing.

   Settlers were observed planting olive trees on illegally seized land.

2. (of an opportunity) taken advantage of promptly:

   Everything that Mom and I had accomplished was rooted firmly in the soil of hard work and seized opportunities.

3. (of moving parts) locked or jammed, as from excessive friction (often followed by up ):

   I gladly pay top dollar for lubricants and fluids, because I know it's far more expensive to have to rebuild a seized engine!

4. having ceased to function; having come to a halt (often followed by up ):

   Businesses need to access credit lines to function, but now the credit market is totally seized up.

5. fully understood; mentally grasped:

   People who need cognitive closure will absorb a statement early in the process of acquiring knowledge, "freeze" on that seized idea, and resist further information.

6. (of melted chocolate) grainy and clumpy from overheating or from contact with a small amount of moisture:

   To reverse the reaction, add more liquid, but just enough to dissolve most of the sugar and cocoa particles in the seized chocolate clumps.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of seize.

Other Words From

• un·seized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of seized¹

seize ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Within hours, Russia’s Vladimir Putin had seized on his comments.

From BBC

By contrast, Ukraine has already lost around 40% of the territory it seized in Kursk in August.

From BBC

Within three days of the death of Alex and Keeley's father, the contaminated batch involved was seized and four people involved in supplying him the drugs were arrested and charged.

From BBC

As part of the operation, detectives seized 19 illegal or unlawfully possessed firearms as well as related components and a “significant amount” of ammunition, the office said in a Friday news release.

From Los Angeles Times

Russia has carried out air strikes on parts of the Syrian city of Aleppo after areas were seized by rebels opposed to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

From BBC

Related Words

• captured