- taken hold, possession, or control of, as by force or legal authority; confiscated, captured, or appropriated:Police say the seized property includes knives, computer equipment, a balaclava, and military clothing.Settlers were observed planting olive trees on illegally seized land.
- (of an opportunity) taken advantage of promptly:Everything that Mom and I had accomplished was rooted firmly in the soil of hard work and seized opportunities.
- (of moving parts) locked or jammed, as from excessive friction (often followed by up):I gladly pay top dollar for lubricants and fluids, because I know it's far more expensive to have to rebuild a seized engine!
- having ceased to function; having come to a halt (often followed by up):Businesses need to access credit lines to function, but now the credit market is totally seized up.
- fully understood; mentally grasped:People who need cognitive closure will absorb a statement early in the process of acquiring knowledge, "freeze" on that seized idea, and resist further information.
- (of melted chocolate) grainy and clumpy from overheating or from contact with a small amount of moisture:To reverse the reaction, add more liquid, but just enough to dissolve most of the sugar and cocoa particles in the seized chocolate clumps.
- the simple past tense and past participle of seize.
