# seise

Pronunciation: say "SEEZ" US /siz/, UK /siːz/

## Verb

1. To vest legal ownership of an estate in land in a particular person.
   - Simple: To make someone the legal owner of land or an estate.
   - _A properly executed deed could seise the buyer of the freehold within days._
   - _The settlement seised his eldest son of the entire estate upon the father's death._
2. To place someone in lawful possession of property, rights, or goods.
   - Simple: To give someone legal control and possession of property.
   - _Once signed, the grant will seise the tenant of full possession._
   - _The decree seised the heirs of their grandfather's holdings._

## Verb

3. To take hold of or grab something, often suddenly or by force. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To take hold of something quickly and firmly.
   - _Bandits would seise any merchant who traveled alone after dark._
   - _He seised the dagger from the table and turned to face them._

## Origin

This comes from Middle English seisen, from Old French seisir ("to put in possession of," "to take possession of"), from Early Medieval Latin sacīre, from Frankish *sakjan ("to bring a legal charge against"), and ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to track." It is related to Old High German sahhan ("to argue") and Old English sacian ("to contend").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/seise (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).