Added 9 October 2026
seal
/siːl/ noun
In Latin: phoca Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about seal at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Fastener consisting of a resinous composition that is plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and parcels and letters.
- A device incised to make an impression; used to secure a closing or to authenticate documents.
-
The pelt or fur (especially the underfur) of a seal.
a coat of seal
verb
Origin
From Middle English sel, from an inflectional form of Old English seolh, from Proto-West Germanic *selh, from Proto-Germanic *selhaz (compare Scots selch,selkie, North Frisian selich, Middle Dutch seel, zēle, Old High German selah, Danish sæl, Middle Low German sale, Icelandic selur), either from Proto-Indo-European *selk- (“to pull”) (compare dialectal English sullow (“plough”)) or from early Proto-Finnic *šülkeš (later *hülgeh, compare dialectal Finnish hylki, standard hylje, Estonian hüljes).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)