seethe /siː ð/ (seethes , seething , seethed )
1 VERB When you are seething , you are very angry about something but do not express your feelings about it. □ [V ] She took it calmly at first but under the surface was seething. □ [V + with ] She grinned derisively while I seethed with rage. □ [V at ] He is seething at all the bad press he is getting. □ [V -ing] …a seething anger fuelled by decades of political oppression.
2 VERB If you say that a place is seething with people or things, you are emphasizing that it is very full of them and that they are all moving about. [EMPHASIS ] □ [V + with ] The forest below him seethed and teemed with life. □ [V -ing] Madrigueras station was a seething mass of soldiers. [Also V ]
see -through ADJ [usu ADJ n] See-through clothes are made of thin cloth, so that you can see a person's body or underwear through them.
seg|ment ◆◇◇ (segments , segmenting , segmented ) The noun is pronounced /se gmənt/. The verb is pronounced /segme nt/. 1 N‑COUNT A segment of something is one part of it, considered separately from the rest. □ [+ of ] …the poorer segments of society. □ [+ of ] …the third segment of his journey.
2 N‑COUNT A segment of fruit such as an orange or grapefruit is one of the sections into which it is easily divided.
3 N‑COUNT A segment of a circle is one of the two parts into which it is divided when you draw a straight line through it.
4 N‑COUNT A segment of a market is one part of it, considered separately from the rest. □ [+ of ] Three-to-five day cruises are the fastest-growing segment of the market. □ Women's tennis is the market leader in a growing market segment–women's sports.
5 VERB If a company segments a market, it divides it into separate parts, usually in order to improve marketing opportunities. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n + into ] The big multinational companies can segment the world markets into national ones. SYNONYMS segment NOUN 1
section: …a geological section of a rock.
part: It was a very severe accident and he lost part of his foot.
piece: …a piece of cake.
seg|men|ta|tion /se gmente I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Segmentation is the dividing of something into parts which are loosely connected. [TECHNICAL ]
seg|ment|ed /segme nt I d/ ADJ [ADJ n] Segmented means divided into parts that are loosely connected to each other. □ …segmented oranges.
seg|re|gate /se gr I ge I t/ (segregates , segregating , segregated ) VERB To segregate two groups of people or things means to keep them physically apart from each other. □ [V n] Police segregated the two rival camps of protesters. □ [V n prep] They segregate you from the rest of the community.
seg|re|gat|ed /se gr I ge I t I d/ ADJ Segregated buildings or areas are kept for the use of one group of people who are the same race, sex, or religion, and no other group is allowed to use them. □ …racially segregated schools. □ John grew up in Baltimore when that city was segregated.
seg|re|ga|tion /se gr I ge I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Segregation is the official practice of keeping people apart, usually people of different sexes, races, or religions. □ Racial segregation in schools was ruled unconstitutional.
seg|re|ga|tion|ist /se gr I ge I ʃən I st/ (segregationists ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] A segregationist is someone who thinks people of different races should be kept apart. □ …a segregationist on the far Right.
segue /se gwe I / (segues , segueing , segued ) VERB If something such as a piece of music or conversation segues into another piece of music or conversation, it changes into it or is followed by it without a break. □ [V + into ] The piece segues into his solo with the strings. [Also V from n, V ] ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Segue is also a noun. □ [+ into ] …a neat segue into an arrangement of 'Eleanor Rigby'.
seis|mic /sa I zm I k/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Seismic means caused by or relating to an earthquake. □ Earthquakes produce two types of seismic waves.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A seismic shift or change is a very sudden or dramatic change. □ I have never seen such a seismic shift in public opinion in such a short period of time.
seis|mo|graph /sa I zməgrɑːf, -græf/ (seismographs ) N‑COUNT A seismograph is an instrument for recording and measuring the strength of earthquakes.
seis|mol|ogy /sa I zmɒ lədʒi/ N‑UNCOUNT Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes. ● seis|mo|logi|cal ADJ [usu ADJ n] □ …the Seismological Society of America. ● seis|molo|gist (seismologists ) N‑COUNT □ Peter Ward is a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
seize ◆◇◇ /siː z/ (seizes , seizing , seized )
1 VERB If you seize something, you take hold of it quickly, firmly, and forcefully. □ [V n] 'Leigh,' he said, seizing my arm to hold me back. □ [V n] …an otter seizing a fish.
2 VERB When a group of people seize a place or seize control of it, they take control of it quickly and suddenly, using force. □ [V n] Troops have seized the airport and railroad terminals. □ [V n] Army officers plotted a failed attempt yesterday to seize power.
3 VERB If a government or other authority seize someone's property, they take it from them, often by force. □ [V n] Police were reported to have seized all copies of this morning's edition of the newspaper.