seal

When used as a verb, the word "seal" means to close.

• Alisha sealed the chicken in a freezer bag before putting it in the freezer.
• If you don’t seal the lid, the food in the container might dry out.
• Jim sealed a deal for the purchase of some property downtown. ("seal a deal" / "seal the deal" is very popular when two groups or two people come to a business agreement.)
• Before Betsy was laid to rest in the cemetery, her body was sealed inside a coffin.

Sometimes the word "seal" is used when a surface is protected by a chemical.

• The floor is chemically sealed to protect it from wear and tear.
• The parking lot was sealed last weekend and new stripes were added, so it now looks like new.

As a noun, the word "seal" can be a few different things:

You lick the seal on an envelope to keep it closed.
A seal is a type of mammal that lives in the water and on land.
An official seal on a document shows that a person in a position of authority has reviewed the document or given approval.

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August 4, 2014