Seel

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /siːl/

Definitions

1. To close a bird's eyes by sewing its eyelids shut, often practiced in falconry to calm the bird
2. To bind the eyelids of a bird together with stitches, typically to keep it calm or inactive
3. To stitch the eyelids of a bird closed, preventing it from opening its eyes usually for training purposes

Etymology: Anyone who has heard "seel" used of a falcon might assume it is a Germanic word about joy, and the first half of that is almost right. The verb comes from Middle English "silen," which traces back through Old French "siller" and "ciller" to Latin "cilium," meaning eyelid or eyelash. Falconers used the word for a practice of sewing a bird's eyelids shut so that it stayed calm, and the Old French sense "to hoodwink" carried the idea of blinding someone. The confusion is understandable, because a different English word, "seel," meaning happiness or good fortune, does descend from Old English "sǣl," a word for a fit time or good circumstances, rooted in an Indo-European sense of being calm and favourable. The two words only look alike. The verb's own ancestor in Latin meant nothing more cheerful than the eyelid itself.

Synonyms: look, gaze

Antonyms: ignore, overlook