seal

• enPR: sēl, IPA^(key): /siːl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːl
• Homophones: SEAL, ceil

From Middle English sele, from an inflectional form of Old English seolh, from Proto-Germanic *selhaz (compare North Frisian selich, Middle Dutch seel, zēle, Old High German selah, Danish sæl, Middle Low German sale), 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). More at sullow.

seal (plural seals)

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

   The seals in the harbor looked better than they smelled.

2. (heraldry) A bearing representing a creature something like a walrus.

• See also Thesaurus:pinniped

seal (third-person singular simple present seals, present participle sealing, simple past and past participle sealed)

1. (intransitive) To hunt seals.

   They're organizing a protest against sealing.

• (hunt seals): go sealing

• Pinniped on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• clapmatch
• dolphin
• sea lion
• walrus
• selkie

A seal on a diploma

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman, from Old French seel, from Latin sigillum, a diminutive of signum (“sign”)

Doublet of sigil.

US presidential seal

seal (plural seals)

1. A stamp used to impress a design on a soft substance such as wax.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 11:

     She [Nature] carved thee for her seal, and meant thereby

     Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die.

2. An impression of such stamp on wax, paper or other material used for sealing.
3. A design or insignia usually associated with an organization or an official role.

   The front of the podium bore the presidential seal.

4. Anything that secures or authenticates.
5. Something which will be visibly damaged if a covering or container is opened, and which may or may not bear an official design.

   The result was declared invalid, as the seal on the meter had been broken.

6. Confirmation or an indication of confirmation.

   Her clothes always had her mom's seal of approval.

7. Something designed to prevent liquids or gases from leaking through a joint.

   The canister is leaking. I think the main seal needs to be replaced.

8. A tight closure, secure against leakage.

   Close the lid tightly to get a good seal.

9. A chakra.

• aseal, asseal
• enseal

• Seal (device) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

seal (third-person singular simple present seals, present participle sealing, simple past and past participle sealed)

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.

   to seal weights and measures; to seal silverware

3. (transitive) To fasten (something) so that it cannot be opened without visible damage.

   The cover is sealed. If anyone tries to open it, we'll know about it.

4. (transitive) To prevent people or vehicles from crossing (something).

   The border has been sealed until the fugitives are found.

5. (transitive) To close securely to prevent leakage.

   I've sealed the bottle to keep the contents fresh.

   • Shakespeare

     Seal up your lips, and give no words but "mum".

6. (transitive) To place in a sealed container.

   I've sealed the documents in this envelope.

7. (transitive, chess) To place a notation of one's next move in a sealed envelope to be opened after an adjournment.

   After thinking for half an hour, the champion sealed his move.

8. (transitive) To guarantee.

   The last-minute goal sealed United's win.

   • 2018 June 18, Phil McNulty, “Tunisia 1 - 2 England”, in BBC Sport‎:

     England's first-half display contained much to admire but it was a sign of their wastefulness in front of goal that it took the injury-time intervention from Kane to seal victory.

9. To fix, as a piece of iron in a wall, with cement or plaster, etc.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Gwilt to this entry?)

10. To close by means of a seal.

    to seal a drainpipe with water

11. (Mormonism) To confirm or set apart as a second or additional wife.
    • H. Stansbury

      If a man once married desires a second helpmate […] she is sealed to him under the solemn sanction of the church.

• (place a seal on):
• (fasten (something) so that it cannot be opened without visible damage):
• (prevent people or vehicles from crossing (something)): block, block off, close, close off, obstruct, seal off
• (close securely to prevent leakage):
• (place in a sealed container): enclose
• (chess term):

• stamp

From Middle English *selen (suggested by Middle English sele (“harness; hame”)), perhaps from Old English sǣlan (“to bind”).

seal (third-person singular simple present seals, present participle sealing, simple past and past participle sealed)

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

• ELAS, Elsa, LAEs, LEAs, Sale, Salé, Sela, aels, ales, lase, leas, sale

seal

1. there

Demonstrative pronoun from pronoun see ("this", "it"). "Seal" is an adessive form of Uralic root *sikä. Compare to Finnish siellä ("siel" in spoken language)

seal

1. adessive case of siga.

From Old Irish sel.

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃalˠ/

seal m (genitive singular seala, nominative plural sealanna)

1. a turn (chance to use (something) shared in sequence with others)

• “sel” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
• “seal” at the Historical Irish Corpus, 1600–1926 of the Royal Irish Academy.
• “seal” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1st ed., 1904, by Patrick S. Dinneen, page 625.
• "seal" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.

seal n (plural sealen, diminutive sealtsje)

1. saddle

• “seal (II)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

seal c or n (plural sealen, diminutive sealtsje)

1. hall

• “seal (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011