seizure

Pluralseizures

Formsseizures, seizuring, seizured

1. 1
   nouncountable

   A sudden attack or convulsion, such as one brought on by epilepsy.

   The patient suffered a seizure shortly after the surgery.

   Bright flashing lights can trigger seizures in some people.

   Similarfit, convulsion, attack, spasm

2. 2
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The act of taking possession of something, whether by force or by legal right.

   Customs officials reported the seizure of several illegal shipments.

   The seizure of the smuggler's vessel made headlines.

   Similarconfiscation, capture, appropriation, impoundment, takeover

   Oppositerelease, return

   Note

   The core sense the others grow from: seize plus the noun-forming suffix -ure, naming the taking itself. Its objects are whatever an authority or a force lays hold of, such as a thief, a property, a throne, or evidence under a search warrant. It can be counted (several seizures) or used as a general process. The medical meaning keeps the same picture, with the body suddenly taken hold of.

3. 3
   nouncountable

   A sudden, overwhelming onset of pain or strong emotion that grips a person without warning.

   A seizure of laughter swept through the room during the speech.

   He was gripped by a sudden seizure of remorse.

   Similarfit, attack, pang, spasm, paroxysm

4. 4
   nouncountable

   Something that has been seized or laid hold of; a thing taken into one's possession.

   The collector displayed his latest seizure among the other treasures.

   Each seizure was carefully cataloged before being stored.

   Similaracquisition, prize, capture, catch, haul

5. 5
   verbintransitive

   To experience a seizure, especially the kind caused by epilepsy.

   If a patient begins to seizure, staff follow a strict safety protocol.

   He seizured in his sleep and woke up disoriented.

   Similarconvulse, seize

   Note

   A verb made straight from the medical noun, with regular endings: seizures, seizuring, seizured. Keep it apart from seize. "He seized" means he grabbed something, while "he seized" can never mean he had a fit. Justin Blackburn writes "I seizured in the middle of an order" (2019), and the verb takes no object: a person seizures but does not seizure anything.

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