Seam Seam noun [ Middle English seem , seam , Anglo-Saxon seám ; akin to Dutch zoom , Old High German soum , German saum , LG. soom , Icelandic saumr , Swedish & Danish söm , and English sew . √ 156. See Sew to fasten with thread.] 1. The fold or line formed by sewing together two pieces of cloth or leather.

2. Hence, a line of junction; a joint; a suture, as on a ship, a floor, or other structure; the line of union, or joint, of two boards, planks, metal plates, etc.

Precepts should be so finely wrought together . . . that no coarse seam may discover where they join.

Addison.

3. (Geol. & Mining) A thin layer or stratum; a narrow vein between two thicker strata; as, a seam of coal.

4. A line or depression left by a cut or wound; a scar; a cicatrix.

Seam blast , a blast made by putting the powder into seams or cracks of rocks. -- Seam lace , a lace used by carriage makers to cover seams and edges; -- called also seaming lace . -- Seam presser . (Agriculture) (a) A heavy roller to press down newly plowed furrows . (b) A tailor's sadiron for pressing seams. Knight. -- Seam set , a set for flattering the seams of metal sheets, leather work, etc.

Seam Seam transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Seamed ; present participle & verbal noun Seaming .] 1. To form a seam upon or of; to join by sewing together; to unite.

2. To mark with something resembling a seam; to line; to scar.

Seamed o'er with wounds which his own saber gave.

Pope.

3. To make the appearance of a seam in, as in knitting a stocking; hence, to knit with a certain stitch, like that in such knitting.

Seam Seam intransitive verb To become ridgy; to crack open.

Later their lips began to parch and seam .

Latin Wallace.

Seam Seam noun [ Anglo-Saxon seám , Late Latin sauma , Latin sagma a packsaddle, from Greek .... See Sumpter .] A denomination of weight or measure. Specifically: (a) The quantity of eight bushels of grain. "A seam of oats." P. Plowman. (b) The quantity of 120 pounds of glass. [ Eng.]

Seaman Sea"man noun ; plural Seamen A merman; the male of the mermaid. [ R.] "Not to mention mermaids or seamen ." Locke.

Seaman Sea"man noun ; plural Seamen . [ Anglo-Saxon sæman .] One whose occupation is to assist in the management of ships at sea; a mariner; a sailor; -- applied both to officers and common mariners, but especially to the latter. Opposed to landman , or landsman .

Able seaman , a sailor who is practically conversant with all the duties of common seamanship. -- Ordinary seaman . See Ordinary .

Seamanlike Sea"man·like` adjective Having or showing the skill of a practical seaman.

Seamanship Sea"man·ship noun The skill of a good seaman; the art, or skill in the art, of working a ship.

Seamark Sea"mark` noun Any elevated object on land which serves as a guide to mariners; a beacon; a landmark visible from the sea, as a hill, a tree, a steeple, or the like. Shak.

Seamed Seamed adjective (Falconry) Out of condition; not in good condition; -- said of a hawk.

Seaming Seam"ing noun 1. The act or process of forming a seam or joint.

2. (Fishing) The cord or rope at the margin of a seine, to which the meshes of the net are attached.

Seaming machine , a machine for uniting the edges of sheet-metal plates by bending them and pinching them together.

Seamless Seam"less adjective Without a seam.

Christ's seamless coat, all of a piece.

Jer. Taylor.

Seamster Seam"ster noun [ See Seamstress .] One who sews well, or whose occupation is to sew. [ Obsolete]

Seamstress Seam"stress noun [ From older seamster , properly fem., Anglo-Saxon seámestre . See Seam .] A woman whose occupation is sewing; a needlewoman.

Seamstressy Seam"stress·y noun The business of a seamstress.

Seamy Seam"y adjective Having a seam; containing seams, or showing them. "Many a seamy scar." Burns.

Everything has its fair, as well as its seamy , side.

Sir W. Scott.

Sean Sean noun A seine. See Seine . [ Prov. Eng.]

Séance Sé`ance" noun [ French, from Latin sedens , -entis , present participle of sedere to sit. See Sit .] A session, as of some public body; especially, a meeting of spiritualists to receive spirit communications, so called.

Seannachie Sean"na·chie noun [ Gael. seanachaidh .] A bard among the Highlanders of Scotland, who preserved and repeated the traditions of the tribes; also, a genealogist. [ Written also sennachy .] [ Scot.]

Seapiece Sea"piece` noun A picture representing a scene at sea; a marine picture. Addison.

Seapoy Sea"poy noun See Sepoy .

Seaquake Sea"quake` (sē"kwāk`) noun A quaking of the sea.

Sear Sear transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Seared ; present participle & verbal noun Searing .] [ Middle English seeren , Anglo-Saxon seárian . See Sear , adjective ] 1. To wither; to dry up. Shak.

2. To burn (the surface of) to dryness and hardness; to cauterize; to expose to a degree of heat such as changes the color or the hardness and texture of the surface; to scorch; to make callous; as, to sear the skin or flesh. Also used figuratively.

I'm seared with burning steel.

Rowe.

It was in vain that the amiable divine tried to give salutary pain to that seared conscience.

Macaulay.

The discipline of war, being a discipline in destruction of life, is a discipline in callousness. Whatever sympathies exist are seared .

H. Spencer.

» Sear is allied to scorch in signification; but it is applied primarily to animal flesh, and has special reference to the effect of heat in marking the surface hard . Scorch is applied to flesh, cloth, or any other substance, and has no reference to the effect of hardness.

To sear up , to close by searing. "Cherish veins of good humor, and sear up those of ill." Sir W. Temple.

Sear Sear noun [ French serre a grasp, pressing, from Latin sera . See Serry .] The catch in a gunlock by which the hammer is held cocked or half cocked.

Sear spring , the spring which causes the sear to catch in the notches by which the hammer is held.

Sear, Sere Sear, Sere (sēr) , adjective [ Middle English seer , Anglo-Saxon seár (assumed) from seárian to wither; akin to Dutch zoor dry, LG. soor , Old High German sorēn to wither, Greek a"y`ein to parch, to dry, Sanskrit çush (for sush ) to dry, to wither, Zend hush to dry. √152. Confer Austere , Sorrel , adjective ] Dry; withered; no longer green; -- applied to leaves. Milton.

I have lived long enough; my way of life
Is fall'n into the sear , the yellow leaf.

Shak.

Searce Searce noun [ See Sarse .] A fine sieve. [ Obsolete]

Searce Searce transitive verb To sift; to bolt. [ Obsolete] Mortimer.

Searcer Sear"cer noun 1. One who sifts or bolts. [ Obsolete]

2. A searce, or sieve. [ Obsolete] Holland.

Search Search transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Searched ; present participle & verbal noun Searching .] [ Middle English serchen , cerchen , Old French cerchier , French chercher , Latin circare to go about, from Latin circum , circa , around. See Circle .] 1. To look over or through, for the purpose of finding something; to examine; to explore; as, to search the city. " Search the Scriptures." John v. 39.

They are come to search the house.

Shak.

Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Ps. cxxxix. 23.

2. To inquire after; to look for; to seek.

I will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

Ezek. xxxiv. 11.

Enough is left besides to search and know.

Milton.

3. To examine or explore by feeling with an instrument; to probe; as, to search a wound.

4. To examine; to try; to put to the test.

To search out , to seek till found; to find by seeking; as, to search out truth.

Syn. -- To explore; examine; scrutinize; seek; investigate; pry into; inquire.

Search Search intransitive verb To seek; to look for something; to make inquiry, exploration, or examination; to hunt.

Once more search with me.

Shak.

It sufficeth that they have once with care sifted the matter, and searched into all the particulars.

Locke.

Search Search noun [ Confer Old French cerche . See Search , transitive verb ] The act of seeking or looking for something; quest; inquiry; pursuit for finding something; examination.

Thus the orb he roamed
With narrow search , and with inspection deep
Considered every creature.

Milton.

Nor did my search of liberty begin
Till my black hairs were changed upon my chin.

Dryden.

Right of search (Mar. Law) , the right of the lawfully commissioned cruisers of belligerent nations to examine and search private merchant vessels on the high seas, for the enemy's property or for articles contraband of war. -- Search warrant (Law) , a warrant legally issued, authorizing an examination or search of a house, or other place, for goods stolen, secreted, or concealed.

Syn. -- Scrutiny; examination; exploration; investigation; research; inquiry; quest; pursuit.

Searchable Search"a·ble adjective Capable of being searched.

Searchableness Search"a·ble·ness noun Quality of being searchable.

Searcher Search"er noun [ Confer Old French cercheor inspector.] One who, or that which, searches or examines; a seeker; an inquirer; an examiner; a trier. Specifically: (a) Formerly, an officer in London appointed to examine the bodies of the dead, and report the cause of death. Graunt. (b) An officer of the customs whose business it is to search ships, merchandise, luggage, etc. (c) An inspector of leather. [ Prov. Eng.] (d) (Gun.) An instrument for examining the bore of a cannon, to detect cavities. (e) An implement for sampling butter; a butter trier. (j) (Medicine) An instrument for feeling after calculi in the bladder, etc.

Searching Search"ing adjective Exploring thoroughly; scrutinizing; penetrating; trying; as, a searching discourse; a searching eye. "Piercing, searching , biting, cold." Dickens.

-- Search"ing*ly , adverb -- Search"ing*ness , noun

Searchless Search"less adjective Impossible to be searched; inscrutable; impenetrable.

Searchlight Search"light` noun (a) An apparatus for projecting a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays, usually devised so that it can be swiveled about. (b) The beam of light projecting by this apparatus.

Searcloth Sear"cloth` noun Cerecloth. Mortimer.

Searcloth Sear"cloth transitive verb To cover, as a sore, with cerecloth.

Seared Seared adjective Scorched; cauterized; hence, figuratively, insensible; not susceptible to moral influences.

A seared conscience and a remorseless heart.

Macaulay.

Searedness Sear"ed·ness noun The state of being seared or callous; insensibility. Bp. Hall.

Seascape Sea"scape noun [ Confer Landscape .] A picture representing a scene at sea. [ Jocose] Thackeray.

Seashell Sea"shell` noun (Zoology) The shell of any marine mollusk.

Seashore Sea"shore` noun 1. The coast of the sea; the land that lies adjacent to the sea or ocean.

2. (Law) All the ground between the ordinary high-water and low-water marks.

Seasick Sea"sick` adjective Affected with seasickness.

Seasickness Sea"sick`ness noun The peculiar sickness, characterized by nausea and prostration, which is caused by the pitching or rolling of a vessel.

Seaside Sea"side` noun The land bordering on, or adjacent to, the sea; the seashore. Also used adjectively.

Season Sea"son noun [ Middle English sesoun , French saison , properly, the sowing time, from Latin satio a sowing, a planting, from serere , satum , to sow, plant; akin to English sow , v., to scatter, as seed.] 1. One of the divisions of the year, marked by alterations in the length of day and night, or by distinct conditions of temperature, moisture, etc., caused mainly by the relative position of the earth with respect to the sun. In the north temperate zone, four seasons, namely, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, are generally recognized. Some parts of the world have three seasons, -- the dry, the rainy, and the cold; other parts have but two, -- the dry and the rainy.

The several seasons of the year in their beauty.

Addison.

2. Hence, a period of time, especially as regards its fitness for anything contemplated or done; a suitable or convenient time; proper conjuncture; as, the season for planting; the season for rest.

The season , prime for sweetest scents and airs.

Milton.

3. A period of time not very long; a while; a time.

Thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season .

Acts xiii. 11.

4. That which gives relish; seasoning. [ Obsolete]

You lack the season of all natures, sleep.

Shak.

In season , in good time, or sufficiently early for the purpose. -- Out of season , beyond or out of the proper time or the usual or appointed time.

Season Sea"son transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Seasoned ; present participle & verbal noun Seasoning .] 1. To render suitable or appropriate; to prepare; to fit.

He is fit and seasoned for his passage.

Shak.

2. To fit for any use by time or habit; to habituate; to accustom; to inure; to ripen; to mature; as, to season one to a climate.

3. Hence, to prepare by drying or hardening, or removal of natural juices; as, to season timber.

4. To fit for taste; to render palatable; to give zest or relish to; to spice; as, to season food.

5. Hence, to fit for enjoyment; to render agreeable.

You season still with sports your serious hours.

Dryden.

The proper use of wit is to season conversation.

Tillotson.

6. To qualify by admixture; to moderate; to temper. "When mercy seasons justice." Shak.

7. To imbue; to tinge or taint. "Who by his tutor being seasoned with the love of the truth." Fuller.

Season their younger years with prudent and pious principles.

Jer. Taylor.

8. To copulate with; to impregnate. [ R.] Holland.

Season Sea"son intransitive verb 1. To become mature; to grow fit for use; to become adapted to a climate.

2. To become dry and hard, by the escape of the natural juices, or by being penetrated with other substance; as, timber seasons in the sun.

3. To give token; to savor. [ Obsolete] Beau. & Fl.

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