different between attract vs seize

English

Etymology

From Latin attractus, past participle of attrahere (“to draw to, attract”), from ad (“to”) + trahere (“to draw”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??t?ækt/
• Rhymes: -ækt

Verb

attract (third-person singular simple present attracts, present participle attracting, simple past and past participle attracted)

1. To pull toward without touching.
   • 1713, William Derham, Physico-Theology

     All bodies, and all the parts of bodies, mutually attract themselves, and one another.

2. To arouse interest.

3. To draw by moral, emotional or sexual influence; to engage or fix, as the mind, attention, etc.; to invite or allure.

Synonyms

• allure

Antonyms

• repel

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• attract in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• attract in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• attract at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Etymology

Earlier seise, from Middle English seisen, sesen, saisen, from Old French seisir (“to take possession of; invest (person, court)”), from Medieval Latin sac?re (“to lay claim to, appropriate”) (8th century) in the phrase ad propriam sacire, from Old Low Frankish *sakjan (“to sue, bring legal action”), from Proto-Germanic *sakjan?, *sak?n? (compare Old English sacian (“to strive, brawl”)), from Proto-Germanic *sakan? (compare Old Saxon sakan (“to accuse”), Old High German sahhan (“to bicker, quarrel, rebuke”), Old English sacan (“to quarrel, claim by law, accuse”). Cognate to sake and Latin sagio (“to perceive acutely”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: s?z, IPA^(key): /si?z/
• Homophones: seas, sees

Verb

seize (third-person singular simple present seizes, present participle seizing, simple past and past participle seized)

1. (transitive) To deliberately take hold of; to grab or capture.

   Synonyms: clasp, grasp, grip; see also Thesaurus:grasp

2. (transitive) To take advantage of (an opportunity or circumstance).

   Synonym: jump on

3. (transitive) To take possession of (by force, law etc.).

   Synonyms: arrogate, commandeer, confiscate

4. (transitive) To have a sudden and powerful effect upon.
   • 2010, Antonio Saggio, A Secret van Gogh: His Motif and Motives, ?ISBN, 11:

     This sensation of an object becoming alive is a characteristic that, I believe, seizes all viewers of a van Gogh. The Bible goes beyond being a simple still-life object to become a living thing, an expression of strength, an existence that emanates from itself, beyond the painting surface to participate in our very lives.

5. (transitive, nautical) To bind, lash or make fast, with several turns of small rope, cord, or small line.

6. (transitive, obsolete) To fasten, fix.
7. (intransitive) To lay hold in seizure, by hands or claws (+ on or upon).

8. (intransitive) To have a seizure.
9. (intransitive) To bind or lock in position immovably; see also seize up.
   • 2012, Martha Holmberg, Modern Sauces: More Than 150 Recipes for Every Cook, Every Day (page 235)

     Chocolate seizes if a small amount of water (or watery liquid such as brandy) finds its way into the chocolate while it is melting. […] If chocolate seizes, it will look grainy and matte rather than glossy and smooth.

10. (Britain, intransitive) To submit for consideration to a deliberative body.
11. (law) (with of) To cause (an action or matter) to be or remain before (a certain judge or court).

    This Court will remain seized of this matter.

Derived terms

Related terms

• seizure

Translations

References

• seize in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• “seize”, in OED Online ?, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000

French

Etymology

From Middle French seze, from Old French seize, seze, from Latin s?decim.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s?z/
• (Quebec) IPA^(key): [saiz]
• Rhymes: -?z

Numeral

seize

1. sixteen

Derived terms

• seizième

Related terms

• six
• dix

Further reading

• “seize” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Norman

Etymology

From Old French seize, from Latin s?decim.

Pronunciation

Numeral

seize

1. (Jersey, Guernsey) sixteen