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seal |
10 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Seal \Seal\, n. [OE. seel, OF seel, F. sceau fr L. sigillum a little figure or image, a seal, dim. of signum a mark, sign, figure, or image. See {Sign}, n., and cf {Sigil}.] 1. An engraved or inscribed stamp, used for marking an impression in wax or other soft substance, to be attached to a document, or otherwise used by way of authentication or security. 2. Wax, wafer, or other tenacious substance, set to an instrument, and impressed or stamped with a seal; as to give a deed under hand and seal. Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bond Thou but offend;st thy lungs to speak so loud. --Shak. 3. That which seals or fastens; esp., the wax or wafer placed on a letter or other closed paper, etc., to fasten it 4. That which confirms, ratifies, or makes stable; that which authenticates; that which secures; assurance. ``under the seal of silence.'' --Milton. Like a red seal is the setting sun On the good and the evil men have done --Lonfellow. 5. An arrangement for preventing the entrance or return of gas or air into a pipe, by which the open end of the pipe dips beneath the surface of water or other liquid, or a deep bend or sag in the pipe is filled with the liquid; a draintrap. {Great seal}. See under {Great}. {Privy seal}. See under {Privy}, a. {Seal lock}, a lock in which the keyhole is covered by a seal in such a way that the lock can not be opened without rupturing the seal. {Seal manual}. See under {Manual}, a. {Seal ring}, a ring having a seal engraved on it or ornamented with a device resembling a seal; a signet ring. --Shak. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Seal \Seal\ (s[=e]l), n. [OE. sele, AS seolh akin to OHG. selah, Dan. s[ae]l, Sw sj["a]l, Icel. selr.] (Zo["o]l.) Any aquatic carnivorous mammal of the families {Phocid[ae]} and {Otariid[ae]}. Note: Seals inhabit seacoasts, and are found principally in the higher latitudes of both hemispheres. There are numerous species, bearing such popular names as {sea lion}, {sea leopard}, {sea bear}, or {ursine seal}, {fur seal}, and {sea elephant}. The bearded seal ({Erignathus barbatus}), the hooded seal ({Cystophora crustata}), and the ringed seal ({Phoca f[oe]tida}), are northern species. See also {Eared seal}, {Harp seal}, and {Fur seal}, under {Eared}, {Harp}, {Monk}, and {Fur}. Seals are much hunted for their skins and fur, and also for their oil, which in some species is very abundant. {Harbor seal} (Zo["o]l.), the common seal ({Phoca vitulina}). It inhabits both the North Atlantic and the North Pacific Ocean, and often ascends rivers; -- called also {marbled seal}, {native seal}, {river seal}, {bay seal}, {land seal}, {sea calf}, {sea cat}, {sea dog}, {dotard}, {ranger}, {selchie}, {tangfish}. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Seal \Seal\, v. i. To affix one's seal, or a seal. [Obs.] I will seal unto this bond. --Shak. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Seal \Seal\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Sealed}; p. pr & vb n. {Skaling}.] [OE. selen; cf OF seeler, seieler F. sceller, LL sigillare See {Seal} a stamp.] 1. To set or affix a seal to hence to authenticate; to confirm; to ratify; to establish; as to seal a deed. And with my hand I seal my true heart's love. --Shak. 2. To mark with a stamp, as an evidence of standard exactness, legal size, or merchantable quality; as to seal weights and measures; to seal silverware. 3. To fasten with a seal; to attach together with a wafer, wax, or other substance causing adhesion; as to seal a letter. 4. Hence to shut close to keep close to make fast to keep secure or secret. Seal up your lips, and give no words but ``mum''. --Shak. 5. To fix, as a piece of iron in a wall, with cement, plaster, or the like --Gwilt. 6. To close by means of a seal; as to seal a drainpipe with water. See 2d {Seal}, 5. 7. Among the Mormons, to confirm or set apart as a second or additional wife. [Utah, U.S.] If a man once married desires a second helpmate . . . she is sealed to him under the solemn sanction of the church. --H. Stansbury From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Center \Cen"ter\, or Centre \Cen"tre\, seal \seal\ . (Gas Manuf.) A compound hydraulic valve for regulating the passage of the gas through a set of purifiers so as to cut out each one in turn for the renewal of the lime. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: seal n 1: a resinous composition that is plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and parcels and letters [syn: {sealing wax}] 2: a device incised to make an impression; used to secure a closing or to authenticate documents [syn: {stamp}] 3: the pelt or fur (especially the underfur) of a seal; "a coat of seal" [syn: {sealskin}] 4: a stamp affixed to a document (as to attest to its authenticity or to seal it); "the warrant bore the sheriff's seal" 5: an indication of approved or superior status [syn: {cachet}, {seal of approval}] 6: a finishing coating applied to seal out especially moisture 7: a tight and perfect closure 8: any of numerous marine mammals that come on shore to breed; chiefly of cold regions v 1: make tight; secure against leakage [syn: {seal off}] 2: close with a seal; "She selaed the letter with hot wax" [ant: {unseal}] 3: decide irrevocably; "sealing dooms" 4: affix a seal to 5: cover with varnish [syn: {varnish}] 6: hunt seals From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (13 Mar 01) [foldoc]: SEAL Semantics-directed Environment Adaptation Language. {(ftp://ftp.cwi.nl/pub/gipe/0092b.ps.Z)} From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]: Seal commonly a ring engraved with some device (Gen. 38:18, 25). Jezebel "wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal" (1 Kings 21:8). Seals are frequently mentioned in Jewish history (Deut. 32:34; Neh. 9:38; 10:1; Esther 3:12; Cant. 8:6; Isa. 8:16; Jer. 22:24; 32:44, etc.). Sealing a document was equivalent to the signature of the owner of the seal. "The use of a signet-ring by the monarch has recently received a remarkable illustration by the discovery of an impression of such a signet on fine clay at Koyunjik the site of the ancient Nineveh. This seal appears to have been impressed from the bezel of a metallic finger-ring. It is an oval, 2 inches in length by 1 inch wide, and bears the image, name and titles of the Egyptian king Sabaco" (Rawlinson's Hist. Illus. of the O.T., p. 46). The actual signet-rings of two Egyptian kings (Cheops and Horus) have been discovered. (See {SIGNET}.) The use of seals is mentioned in the New Testament only in connection with the record of our Lord's burial (Matt. 27:66). The tomb was sealed by the Pharisees and chief priests for the purpose of making sure that the disciples would not come and steal the body away (ver. 63, 64). The mode of doing this was probably by stretching a cord across the stone and sealing it at both ends with sealing-clay. When God is said to have sealed the Redeemer, the meaning is that he has attested his divine mission (John 6:27). Circumcision is a seal, an attestation of the covenant (Rom. 4:11). Believers are sealed with the Spirit, as God's mark put upon them (Eph. 1:13; 4:30). Converts are by Paul styled the seal of his apostleship, i.e., they are its attestation (1 Cor. 9:2). Seals and sealing are frequently mentioned in the book of Revelation (5:1; 6:1; 7:3; 10:4; 22:10). From V.E.R.A. -- Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms 13 March 2001 [vera]: SEAL Simple and Efficient Adaptation Layer (ATM) From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]: SEAL, n. A mark impressed upon certain kinds of documents to attest their authenticity and authority. Sometimes it is stamped upon wax, and attached to the paper, sometimes into the paper itself Sealing, in this sense is a survival of an ancient custom of inscribing important papers with cabalistic words or signs to give them a magical efficacy independent of the authority that they represent. In the British museum are preserved many ancient papers, mostly of a sacerdotal character, validated by necromantic pentagrams and other devices, frequently initial letters of words to conjure with and in many instances these are attached in the same way that seals are appended now As nearly every reasonless and apparently meaningless custom, rite or observance of modern times had origin in some remote utility, it is pleasing to note an example of ancient nonsense evolving in the process of ages into something really useful. Our word sincere" is derived from _sine cero_, without wax, but the learned are not in agreement as to whether this refers to the absence of the cabalistic signs, or to that of the wax with which letters were formerly closed from public scrutiny. Either view of the matter will serve one in immediate need of an hypothesis. The initials L.S., commonly appended to signatures of legal documents, mean _locum sigillis_, the place of the seal, although the seal is no longer used -- an admirable example of conservatism distinguishing Man from the beasts that perish. The words _locum sigillis_ are humbly suggested as a suitable motto for the Pribyloff Islands whenever they shall take their place as a sovereign State of the American Union.
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