noun
seal
SEEL/sˈil/
A marine mammal with flippers and a streamlined body.
The harbor seal rests on a coastal rock beside the water.
Etymology
Old English seolh already named the marine animal; its deeper origin is unknown, though a Finnic borrowing has been suggested. Its maritime association appears in the Old English poetic expression “seal's bath” for the sea.
In context
Every part of a seal's body is tailored to thrive in two worlds, land and sea. When it comes to movement, seals are underwater acrobats. Using their powerful rear flippers, they can dive over 1,500 ft
More examples
- Several seals rest on the rocks at low tide.
- The seal dives beneath the waves to catch fish.
- A young seal drinks its mother's milk.
Forms
seal · seals
Similar words
- pinniped
- A scientific term covering seals, sea lions, and walruses.