rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryseizeForceful taking
verb

seize

SEEZ/siːz/

To take a sudden forceful hold.

The man seizes the tipping mug's handle before it falls.

A man lunges forward and clamps his hand around the handle of a tipping mug just before it falls from a table, visibly combining sudden movement with a firm grasp.
Etymology
seizeOld Frenchto take possession of

Old French seisir meant taking possession, especially in a legal setting; English extended this to physically gripping with hands or teeth. Its deeper ancestry is generally held to be Germanic, but the exact source is uncertain.

In context

Enhanced Public Domain20:15
the creatures ran off a second time before I could seize them whereupon there was a great shout
1700s Satire: Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels (Audiobook)

More examples

  • She seized my wrist and pulled me out of traffic.
  • The rebels seized control of the capital overnight.
  • He seizes every opportunity to learn something new.

Forms

seize · seizes · seized · seizing

seizure noun — The act of forcibly taking possession.

Similar words

grab
Means taking hold quickly, without necessarily using much force.
grasp
Emphasizes a firm hold rather than sudden action.
snatch
Emphasizes quickly taking something away from someone or somewhere.