Seel

/siːl/ adj, noun, verb

adj, noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: Good fortune; happiness; bliss.
  • Grammar: seel is listed as adj, noun, verb.
  • Nearest alternatives: blind, close, seal, secure.
  • Useful contrasts: open, perceive, see.
  • Usage evidence: Hey who does blindly soar at Rhodalind[…] Mounts, like seel'd doves, still higher[…]

How to use "seel"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "seel" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "seel" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "seel" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "seel" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "seel" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "blind" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "seel", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Good fortune; happiness; bliss. UK, dialectal
  2. 2
    The rolling or agitation of a ship in a storm. obsolete

    "The ship hulls as the billows flow; / And all aboard at ev'ry seel, / Like drunkards, on the hatches reel."

  3. 3
    Opportunity; time; season. UK, dialectal

    "the seel of the day"

Verb
  1. 1
    To sew together the eyelids of a young hawk.

    "Hey who does blindly soar at Rhodalind[…] Mounts, like seel'd doves, still higher[…]"

  2. 2
    To roll on the waves in a storm. intransitive, obsolete

    "when a Ship seels or rowls in foul Weather"

  3. 3
    sew up the eyelids of hawks and falcons wordnet
  4. 4
    To blind. broadly
Adjective
  1. 1
    Good; fortunate; opportune; happy. obsolete

Example

"Hey who does blindly soar at Rhodalind[…] Mounts, like seel'd doves, still higher[…]"

Common questions

What does "seel" mean?

Good fortune; happiness; bliss.

What is a synonym for "seel"?

Common synonyms include: blind, close, seal, secure.

How do you use "seel" in a sentence?

Hey who does blindly soar at Rhodalind[…] Mounts, like seel'd doves, still higher[…]

How do you pronounce "seel"?

Pronounced /siːl/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English sel, sele, from Old English *sǣle (“good, fortunate, happy”) (attested in Old English unsǣle (“evil, wicked”)), from Proto-Germanic *sēliz (“good, happy”), from Proto-Indo-European *sel-, *sēl- (“to calm, quiet, be favourable”). Cognate with Danish sæl (“blissful”), Dutch zalig (“blissful”), Gothic 𐍃𐌴𐌻𐍃 (sēls, “good, kind, useful”), Icelandic sæll (“blissful”), Latin sōlor (“to comfort, console”), Swedish säll (“blissful”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English sele, sel, from Old English sǣl (“time, occasion, a fit time, season, opportunity, the definite time at which an event should take place, time as in bad or good times, circumstances, condition, position, happiness, joy, good fortune, good time, prosperity”), from Proto-Germanic *sēliz (“luck, joy”), from Proto-Indo-European *sel-, *sēl- (“to calm, quiet, be favourable”). Cognate with Icelandic sæla (“bliss”), Dutch zalig (“blissful, blessed”). More at silly.

Etymology 3

From Middle English silen, from Old French siller, ciller (“to sew up the eyelids of, hoodwink, wink”), from cil (“eyelid”), from Latin cilium (“eyelid, eyelash”).

Etymology 4

Ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *sīgan (“to drop”). Compare Low German sielen (“to lead off water”), French siller (“to run ahead, to make headway”), and English sile (transitive verb).

More for "seel"