English Meaning & Definitions
A marine mammal that typically has a streamlined body, flippers, and lives partly on land and partly in the water.
- “A colony of seals rested on the rocky shore, basking in the afternoon sun.”
- “We watched a playful seal darting through the cold coastal waters.”
A device or substance used to join two things together so as to prevent leakage or tampering.
- “Check the rubber seal on the refrigerator door to ensure it closes tightly.”
- “The official document bore the king's wax seal.”
To fasten or close something securely so that air, liquid, or information cannot enter or escape.
- “She licked the envelope and pressed down the flap to seal it.”
- “The workers used silicone to seal the edges of the bathtub.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “seal”.
Derived from Old English 'seolh' (noun) meaning the marine mammal, and Old French 'seel' / Latin 'sigillum' (noun) meaning a mark, stamp, or token of authentication. Historically, the two meanings (animal and stamp/closure) are etymologically unrelated homonyms that merged in spelling over time.
Think of a trained circus seal clapping its flippers together tightly to close a deal or finish a trick.
Frequently Asked Questions About “seal”
1. What is the meaning of “seal” in English?
In English, seal (noun) is defined as: “A marine mammal that typically has a streamlined body, flippers, and lives partly on land and partly in the water.”.
2. How do you use “seal” in a sentence?
“A colony of seals rested on the rocky shore, basking in the afternoon sun.”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “seal”?
Derived from Old English 'seolh' (noun) meaning the marine mammal, and Old French 'seel' / Latin 'sigillum' (noun) meaning a mark, stamp, or token of authentication. Historically, the two meanings (animal and stamp/closure) are etymologically unrelated homonyms that merged in spelling over time.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.