Tra từ seal - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

seal [seal seals sealed sealing] verb, noun BrE [siːl] NAmE [siːl]
verb

CLOSE ENVELOPE
1. ~ sth (up/down) to close an envelope, etc. by sticking the edges of the opening together
• Make sure you've signed the cheque before sealing the envelope.
•a sealed bid (= one that is kept in a sealed envelope and therefore remains secret until all other bids have been received)

CLOSE CONTAINER
2. often passive ~ sth (up) (with sth) to close a container tightly or fill a crack, etc, especially so that air, liquid, etc. cannot get in or out
• The organs are kept in sealed plastic bags.

COVER SURFACE
3. often passive ~ sth (with sth) to cover the surface of sth with a substance in order to protect it
• The floors had been stripped and sealed with varnish.

MAKE STH DEFINITE
4. ~ sth to make sth definite, so that it cannot be changed or argued about
•to seal a contract
• They drank a glass of wine to seal their new friendship.
• The discovery of new evidence sealed his fate (= nothing could prevent what was going to happen to him).
•She sealed victory with a birdie at the final hole.

CLOSE BORDERS/EXITS
5. ~ sth (of the police, army, etc.)to prevent people from passing through a place
• Troops have sealed the borders between the countries.
see my lips are sealed at ↑lip, signed and sealedsigned, sealed and delivered at ↑sign _v.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
n. senses 2 to 6 and v. Middle English Old French seel seeler Latin sigillum ‘small picture’ signum ‘a sign’ n. sense 1 Old English seolh Germanic

Thesaurus:
seal verb T, often passive
•The unit is sealed to prevent dust from getting in.
block (sth up) • • plug • • stop • • clog • • choke •
seal/block/plug/stop/clog/choke sth up
seal/block (up)/plug/stop/clog/choke sth with sth
seal/block (up)/plug a hole

Example Bank:
•He sealed the bag tightly with sticky tape.
•Police sealed off the area.
•The containers must be carefully sealed so that no air can get in.
•The contracts are already signed and sealed.
•The nuclear plant would be effectively sealed off from the world.
•The unit is completely sealed.
•a hermetically sealed container
•The samples are kept in sealed plastic bags.
•The whole unit is sealed to prevent dust getting in.
•The windows and doors had been sealed up with bricks.
•Troops have sealed the border between the countries.
Idioms: ↑set the seal on something ▪ ↑under seal
Derived: ↑seal something in ▪ ↑seal something in something ▪ ↑seal something off

noun

OFFICIAL MARK
1. countable an official design or mark, stamped on a document to show that it is genuine and carries the authority of a particular person or organization
• The letter bore the president's seal.

MAKING STH DEFINITE
2. singular a thing that makes sth definite
• The project has been given the government's seal of approval (= official approval).
•I looked upon the gift as a seal on our friendship.

ON CONTAINERS
3. countable a substance, strip of material, etc. used to fill a crack so that air, liquid, etc. cannot get in or out
•a jar with a rubber seal in the lid
• Only drink bottled water and check the seal isn't broken.

ON LETTERS/BOXES
4. countable a piece of ↑wax (= a soft substance produced by ↑bees ), soft metal or paper that is placed across the opening of sth such as a letter or box and which has to be broken before the letter or box can be opened
• He broke the wax seal and unrolled the paper.
5. countable a piece of metal, a ring, etc. with a design on it, used for stamping a ↑wax or metal seal

SEA ANIMAL
6. countable a sea animal that eats fish and lives around coasts. There are many types of seal, some of which are hunted for their fur
•a colony of seals
•grey seals basking on the rocks
•The annual seal hunt takes place on the pack ice off Greenland.

Word Origin:
n. senses 2 to 6 and v. Middle English Old French seel seeler Latin sigillum ‘small picture’ signum ‘a sign’ n. sense 1 Old English seolh Germanic

Thesaurus:
seal noun C
•The letter bore the president's seal.
stamp • • crest • • arms • • coat of arms • • emblem • • logo • • trademark •
the royal seal/crest/armscoat of arms/emblem
an official seal/stamp
bear/carry a/an/the seal/stamp/crest/arms/coat of arms/emblem/logo
Seal or stamp? A stamp may show any kind of information, such as a date, a few words or a symbol; a seal is likely to appear on legal documents. Both words can be used to show that sth has been approved
• (figurative) The project has the government's seal/stamp of approval.

Example Bank:
•Environmentalists claim there is no reason to cull seals.
•He broke the seal and opened the envelope.
•Her report was given the seal of approval by senior management.
•The ad criticized hunters for clubbing baby seals.
•an official-looking letter with a wax seal
•The letter bore the president's seal.