seal
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: sēl
ipa: /siːl/
rhymes: -iːl
homophone: SEAL
homophone: ceil
homophone: seel
homophone: Cel
Forms: form: seals
Etymology: From Middle English sele, from Anglo-Norman seel, from Latin sigillum, a diminutive of signum (“sign”).
Doublet of sigil and sigillum.
Senses: examples: text: She [Nature] carved thee for her seal, and meant thereby
Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die.
ref: 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 11”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:
glosses: A stamp used to impress a design on a soft substance such as wax.
glosses: An impression of such stamp on wax, paper or other material used for sealing.
examples: text: The front of the podium bore the presidential seal.
text: So the matter rested until the Cranbrook & Paddock Wood Company was incorporated on August 8, 1877, appropriately displaying a bunch of hops on its seal, for these had become the principal cash crop in the area.
ref: 1960 March, H. P. White, “The Hawkhurst branch of the Southern Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 170:
glosses: A facsimile of an impression of such stamp that is a mark or symbol of an office or organisation.
glosses: Anything that secures or authenticates.
examples: text: The result was declared invalid, as the seal on the meter had been broken.
text: Seals were placed on the papal apartment on the third floor of the Apostolic Palace and on the apartment on the second floor of the Casa Santa Marta, where Pope Francis lived.
ref: 2025 April 21, Devin Watkins, “Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday aged 88”, in Vatican News:
glosses: Something which will be visibly damaged if a covering or container is opened, and which may or may not bear an official design.
examples: text: Her clothes always had her mom's seal of approval.
glosses: Confirmation or approval, or an indication of this.
examples: text: The canister is leaking. I think the main seal needs to be replaced.
glosses: Something designed to prevent liquids or gases from leaking through a joint.
examples: text: Close the lid tightly to get a good seal.
glosses: A tight closure, secure against leakage.
glosses: A chakra.
Derived terms: word: AccuPort seal
word: apex seal
word: balanced seal
word: bellows seal
word: blow fill seal
word: blue seal
word: Bodok seal
word: border seal
word: break seal
word: break the seal
word: Bridgman seal
word: broad seal
word: burning seal
word: button seal
word: cartridge seal
word: Chinese seal
word: chip seal
word: Christmas seal
word: clay seal
word: collation of seals
word: company seal
word: compartmented seal
word: compression seal
word: compressor seal
word: concentric dual seal
word: Confederate Seal
word: contract under seal
word: corporate seal
word: counter-seal
word: crankshaft seal
word: cup seal
word: cylinder seal
word: diaphragm seal
english: aka door gasket
translation: aka door gasket
word: door seal
word: double balanced seal
word: double seal
word: dry gas seal
word: dry seal
word: dual seal
word: dynamic seal
word: enamelled seal
word: externally pressurized seal
word: face seal
word: face-to-face seals
word: farthing seal
word: fin seal
word: fisherman's seal
word: fisher's seal
word: flange seal
word: given under my hand and seal
word: glass-ceramic-to-metal seal
word: glass seal
word: golden seal
word: golden-seal
word: goldenseal
word: grease seal
word: Great Seal
word: great seal
word: green seal
word: green-seal
word: guide seal
word: gum-seal
word: hand and seal
word: Hermes' seal
word: hermetic seal
word: hot seal
word: hydrodynamic seal
word: hydrostatic seal
word: impression seal
word: inside-mounted seal
word: Keeper of the Seals
word: Knights Templar Seal
word: labyrinth seal
word: lady's seal
word: lip seal
word: LMLK seal
word: Luther seal
word: magnetic seal
word: mechanical face seal
word: mechanical seal
word: medicine seal
word: official seal
word: oil seal
word: orbital reducer seal
word: outside-mounted seal
word: palatal seal
word: peripheral seal
word: piston seal
word: posterior palatal seal
word: postpalatal seal
word: presidential seal
word: primary seal
word: privacy seal
word: privy seal
word: pusher seal
word: radial shaft seal
word: rotary seal
word: rotating face mechanical seal
word: royal seal
word: sanitary seal
word: scaraboid seal
word: seal assembly
word: seal at arms
word: seal of arms
word: seal-bag
word: sealbore
word: seal chamber
word: seal coating
word: seal-cup
word: seal-cylinder
word: seal-day
word: seal-engraving
word: seal face
word: seal face width
word: seal-flower
word: sealing washer
word: seal leak
word: sealless
word: seal-lock
word: seal lock
word: Seal-Lock
word: Sealock
word: seal manual
word: seal-master
word: seal of approval
word: seal of confession
word: seal of the confessional
word: seal-office
word: seal of quality
word: seal of relics
word: Seal of Solomon
word: seal of the demons
word: Seal of the Prophets
word: seal on a bedsheet
word: seal-pipe
word: seal point
word: seal-press
word: seal presser
word: seal receptacle
word: seal ring
word: seal-ring
word: seal script
word: seal-stamp
word: seal stone
word: seal swell
word: seal-top
word: seal-wax
word: sealwax
word: seal-work
word: seal-wort
word: secre seal
word: secret seal
word: set one's seal
word: set the seal on
word: set to one's seal
word: set to seal
word: shaft seal
word: Solomon's seal
word: stamp seal
word: state seal
word: stationary seal
word: surface sealing
word: sylphon seal
word: tandem seals
word: the seven seals
word: trap seal
word: unbalanced seal
word: under one's seal
word: under seal
word: Underseal
word: underseal
word: under the cold seal
word: unseal
word: velopharyngeal seal
word: water seal
word: weather seal
word: wiper seal
Related terms: aseal
asseal
enseal