seal
    n 1: fastener consisting of a resinous composition that is
         plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and parcels
         and letters [syn: sealing wax, seal]
    2: a device incised to make an impression; used to secure a
       closing or to authenticate documents [syn: seal, stamp]
    3: the pelt or fur (especially the underfur) of a seal; "a coat
       of seal" [syn: seal, sealskin]
    4: a member of a Naval Special Warfare unit who is trained for
       unconventional warfare; "SEAL is an acronym for Sea Air and
       Land" [syn: Navy SEAL, SEAL]
    5: a stamp affixed to a document (as to attest to its
       authenticity or to seal it); "the warrant bore the sheriff's
       seal"
    6: an indication of approved or superior status [syn: cachet,
       seal, seal of approval]
    7: a finishing coat applied to exclude moisture
    8: fastener that provides a tight and perfect closure
    9: any of numerous marine mammals that come on shore to breed;
       chiefly of cold regions
    v 1: make tight; secure against leakage; "seal the windows"
         [syn: seal, seal off]
    2: close with or as if with a seal; "She sealed the letter with
       hot wax" [ant: unseal]
    3: decide irrevocably; "sealing dooms"
    4: affix a seal to; "seal the letter"
    5: cover with varnish [syn: varnish, seal]
    6: hunt seals

Seal \Seal\ (s[=e]l), n. [OE. sele, AS. seolh; akin to OHG.
   selah, Dan. sael, Sw. sj[aum]l, Icel. selr.] (Zool.)
   Any aquatic carnivorous mammal of the families Phocidae and
   Otariidae.
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   Note: Seals inhabit seacoasts, and are found principally in
         the higher latitudes of both hemispheres. There are
         numerous species, bearing such popular names as sea
         lion, sea leopard, sea bear, or ursine seal,
         fur seal, and sea elephant. The bearded seal
         (Erignathus barbatus), the hooded seal (Cystophora
         cristata), and the ringed seal (Phoca foetida), are
         northern species. See also Eared seal, Harp seal,
         Monk seal, and Fur seal, under Eared, Harp,
         Monk, and Fur. Seals are much hunted for their
         skins and fur, and also for their oil, which in some
         species is very abundant.
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   Harbor seal (Zool.), the common seal (Phoca vitulina). It
      inhabits both the North Atlantic and the North Pacific
      Ocean, and often ascends rivers; -- called also marbled
      seal, native seal, river seal, bay seal, land
      seal, sea calf, sea cat, sea dog, dotard,
      ranger, selchie, tangfish.
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Seal \Seal\, n. [OE. seel, OF. seel, F. sceau, fr. L. sigillum a
   little figure or image, a seal, dim. of signum a mark, sign,
   figure, or image. See Sign, n., and cf. Sigil.]
   1. An engraved or inscribed stamp, used for marking an
      impression in wax or other soft substance, to be attached
      to a document, or otherwise used by way of authentication
      or security.
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   2. Wax, wafer, or other tenacious substance, set to an
      instrument, and impressed or stamped with a seal; as, to
      give a deed under hand and seal.
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            Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bond
            Thou but offend'st thy lungs to speak so loud.
                                                  --Shak.
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   3. That which seals or fastens; esp., the wax or wafer placed
      on a letter or other closed paper, etc., to fasten it.
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   4. That which confirms, ratifies, or makes stable; that which
      authenticates; that which secures; assurance. "Under the
      seal of silence." --Milton.
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            Like a red seal is the setting sun
            On the good and the evil men have done.
                                                  --Longfellow.
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   5. An arrangement for preventing the entrance or return of
      gas or air into a pipe, by which the open end of the pipe
      dips beneath the surface of water or other liquid, or a
      deep bend or sag in the pipe is filled with the liquid; a
      draintrap.
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   Great seal. See under Great.

   Privy seal. See under Privy, a.

   Seal lock, a lock in which the keyhole is covered by a seal
      in such a way that the lock can not be opened without
      rupturing the seal.

   Seal manual. See under Manual, a.

   Seal ring, a ring having a seal engraved on it, or
      ornamented with a device resembling a seal; a signet ring.
      --Shak.
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Seal \Seal\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sealed; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Sealing.] [OE. selen; cf. OF. seeler, seieler, F. sceller,
   LL. sigillare. See Seal a stamp.]
   1. To set or affix a seal to; hence, to authenticate; to
      confirm; to ratify; to establish; as, to seal a deed.
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            And with my hand I seal my true heart's love.
                                                  --Shak.
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   2. To mark with a stamp, as an evidence of standard
      exactness, legal size, or merchantable quality; as, to
      seal weights and measures; to seal silverware.
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   3. To fasten with a seal; to attach together with a wafer,
      wax, or other substance causing adhesion; as, to seal a
      letter.
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   4. Hence, to shut close; to keep close; to make fast; to keep
      secure or secret.
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            Seal up your lips, and give no words but "mum".
                                                  --Shak.
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   5. To fix, as a piece of iron in a wall, with cement,
      plaster, or the like. --Gwilt.
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   6. To close by means of a seal; as, to seal a drainpipe with
      water. See 2d Seal, 5.
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   7. Among the Mormons, to confirm or set apart as a second or
      additional wife. [Utah, U.S.]
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            If a man once married desires a second helpmate . .
            . she is sealed to him under the solemn sanction of
            the church.                           --H.
                                                  Stansbury.
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Seal \Seal\, v. i.
   To affix one's seal, or a seal. [Obs.]
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         I will seal unto this bond.              --Shak.
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SEAL
       Simple and Efficient Adaptation Layer (ATM)
       

SEAL

   Semantics-directed Environment Adaptation Language.

   <ftp://ftp.cwi.nl/pub/gipe/0092b.ps.Z>.

Seal
   commonly a ring engraved with some device (Gen. 38:18, 25).
   Jezebel "wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his
   seal" (1 Kings 21:8). Seals are frequently mentioned in Jewish
   history (Deut. 32:34; Neh. 9:38; 10:1; Esther 3:12; Cant. 8:6;
   Isa. 8:16; Jer. 22:24; 32:44, etc.). Sealing a document was
   equivalent to the signature of the owner of the seal. "The use
   of a signet-ring by the monarch has recently received a
   remarkable illustration by the discovery of an impression of
   such a signet on fine clay at Koyunjik, the site of the ancient
   Nineveh. This seal appears to have been impressed from the bezel
   of a metallic finger-ring. It is an oval, 2 inches in length by
   1 inch wide, and bears the image, name, and titles of the
   Egyptian king Sabaco" (Rawlinson's Hist. Illus. of the O.T., p.
   46). The actual signet-rings of two Egyptian kings (Cheops and
   Horus) have been discovered. (See SIGNET.)
   
     The use of seals is mentioned in the New Testament only in
   connection with the record of our Lord's burial (Matt. 27:66).
   The tomb was sealed by the Pharisees and chief priests for the
   purpose of making sure that the disciples would not come and
   steal the body away (ver. 63, 64). The mode of doing this was
   probably by stretching a cord across the stone and sealing it at
   both ends with sealing-clay. When God is said to have sealed the
   Redeemer, the meaning is, that he has attested his divine
   mission (John 6:27). Circumcision is a seal, an attestation of
   the covenant (Rom. 4:11). Believers are sealed with the Spirit,
   as God's mark put upon them (Eph. 1:13; 4:30). Converts are by
   Paul styled the seal of his apostleship, i.e., they are its
   attestation (1 Cor. 9:2). Seals and sealing are frequently
   mentioned in the book of Revelation (5:1; 6:1; 7:3; 10:4;
   22:10).
   

SEAL, conveyancing, contracts. A seal is an impression upon wax, wafer, or 
some other tenacious substance capable of being impressed. 5 Johns. R. 239. 
Lord Coke defines a seal to be wax, with an impression. 3 Inst. 169. 
"Sigillum," says he, "est cera impressa, quia cera sine impressione non est 
sigillum." This is the common law definition of a seal. Perk. 129, 134; Bro. 
tit. Faits, 17, 30; 2 Leon 21; 5 John. 239; 2 Caines, R. 362; 21 Pick. R. 
417. 
     2. But in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the southern and western states 
generally, the impression upon wax has been disused, and a circular, oval, 
or square mark, opposite the name of the signer, has the same effect as a 
seal the shape of it however is indifferent; and it is usually written with 
a pen. 2 Serg. & Rawle, 503; 1 Dall. 63; 1 Serg. & Rawle, 72; 1 Watts, R. 
322; 2 Halst. R. 272. 
     3. A notary must use his official seal, to authenticate his official 
acts, and a scroll will not answer. 4 Blackf. R. 185. As to the effects of a 
seal, vide Phil. Ev. Index, h.t. Vide, generally, 13 Vin. Ab. 19; 4 Kent, 
Com. 444; 7 Caines' Cas. 1; Com. Dig. Fait, A 2. 
     4. Merlin defines a real to be a plate of metal with a flat surface, on 
which is engraved the arms of a prince or nation, or private individual or 
other device, with which an impression may be made on wax or other substance 
on paper or parchment, in order to authenticate them: the impression thus 
made is also called a seal. Repert. mot Sceau; 3 McCord's R. 583; 5 Whart. 
R. 563. 
     5. When a seal is affixed to an instrument, it makes it a specialty, 
(q.v.) and whether the seal be affixed by a corporation or an individual the 
effect is the same. 15 Wend. 256. 
     6. Where an instrument concludes with the words, "witness our hands and 
seals," and is signed by two persons, with only one seal, the jury may 
infer, from the face of the paper, that the person who signed last, adopted 
the seal of the first. 6 Penn. St. Rep. 302. Vide 9 Am Jur. 290-297; 1 Ohio 
Rep. 368; 3 John. 470. 12 ohu. 76; as to the origin and use of seals, Addis. 
on Cont. 6; Scroll. 
     7. The public seal of a foreign state, proves itself; and public acts, 
decrees and judgments, exemplified under this seal, are received as true and 
genuine. 2 Cranch, 187, 238; 4 Dall. 416; 7 Wheat. 273, 335; 1 Denio, 376; 2 
Conn. 85, 90; 6 Wend. 475; 9 Mod. 66. But to entitle its seal to such 
authority, the foreign state must have been acknowledged by the government, 
within whose jurisdiction the forum is located. 3 Wheat. 610; 9 Ves. 347. 

SEAL, n.  A mark impressed upon certain kinds of documents to attest
their authenticity and authority.  Sometimes it is stamped upon wax,
and attached to the paper, sometimes into the paper itself.  Sealing,
in this sense, is a survival of an ancient custom of inscribing
important papers with cabalistic words or signs to give them a magical
efficacy independent of the authority that they represent.  In the
British museum are preserved many ancient papers, mostly of a
sacerdotal character, validated by necromantic pentagrams and other
devices, frequently initial letters of words to conjure with; and in
many instances these are attached in the same way that seals are
appended now.  As nearly every reasonless and apparently meaningless
custom, rite or observance of modern times had origin in some remote
utility, it is pleasing to note an example of ancient nonsense
evolving in the process of ages into something really useful.  Our
word "sincere" is derived from _sine cero_, without wax, but the
learned are not in agreement as to whether this refers to the absence
of the cabalistic signs, or to that of the wax with which letters were
formerly closed from public scrutiny.  Either view of the matter will
serve one in immediate need of an hypothesis.  The initials L.S.,
commonly appended to signatures of legal documents, mean _locum
sigillis_, the place of the seal, although the seal is no longer used
-- an admirable example of conservatism distinguishing Man from the
beasts that perish.  The words _locum sigillis_ are humbly suggested
as a suitable motto for the Pribyloff Islands whenever they shall take
their place as a sovereign State of the American Union.