1. The act of gripping something firmly with the hands (or the tentacles)
   "The octopus's seizing of its prey was lightning-quick";
   - grasping, taking hold, prehension
    
2. Small stuff that is used for lashing two or more ropes together
   "The sailor used seizing to secure the rigging"

1. Take into your hands deliberately
   "The sales clerk quickly seized the money on the counter"; "The mother seized her child by the arm"; "Birds of prey often seize small mammals";
   - prehend [archaic], clutch, take hold, take hold of
    
2. Suddenly and forcibly take into one's grasp
   "The movie seized my imagination";
   - grab
    
3. Take or capture by force
   "The terrorists seized the politicians"; "The rebels threaten to seize civilian hostages"
    
4. Take possession of by force, as after an invasion
   "the invaders seized the land and property of the inhabitants"; "The army seized the town";
   - appropriate, capture, conquer
    
5. Take control of (without authority and possibly with force); take as one's right or possession
   "She seized control of the throne after her husband died";
   - assume, usurp, take over, arrogate
    
6. Take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority
   "The FBI seized the drugs";
   - impound, attach, sequester, confiscate, sequestrate
    
7. Affect
   "Fear seized the prisoners"; "The patient was seized with unbearable pains"; "He was seized with a dreadful disease";
   - clutch, get hold of, take hold of, take hold
    
8. Hook by a pull on the line
   "seize a fish";
   - strike
    
9. (law) put in legal possession of property or rights
   "The court ordered to seize the defendant of the disputed estate";
   - seise [Brit]

Derived forms: seizings

Type of: control, engulf, fascinate, get hold of, hook, ingulf [archaic], interest, intrigue, overcome, overpower, overtake, overwhelm, small stuff, sweep over, take

Encyclopedia: Seizing