seal (subs.) Copy link Outline I. Of a letter, etc.1. signum (the image or device upon a signet; also, the impression in wax)2. cēra (the wax impression only)II. The animal • seal (subs.): I. Of a letter, etc.: 1. signum (the image or device upon a signet; also, the impression in wax): to put s.s to documents, tabellis s. imprimere, Hor. S. 2, 6, 38: to keep under s., sub s. habere, Cic. Att. 9, 10: (a letter) with the s.s unbroken, integris s., id. Cat. 3, 3, init. Dimin. sigillum (very rare in this sense): Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 3. 2. cēra (the wax impression only): Cic. Fl. 16, 37: Ov. Hence, cerarium, a fee for putting a s. to a document, Cic. Verr. 3, 78, init. (From this place and that in the speech pro Flacco, cera would appear to be strictly the proper word for the impression, rather than signum.) Phr.: to put one's s. to a document, tabellas obsignare, Cic. Quint. 21, 67 (v. to seal): to break open the s. of a letter, litteras resignare, Pl. Trin. 3, 3, 66: Cic. II. The animal: phōca; also, phōcē, ēs: Virg. G. 4, 432. (*Phoca vitulina, the common s.: Cycl.)
seal (v.) Copy link Outline I. To put a s. to a letter or document1. signo, 12. expr. by signum (signa) imprimereII. To certify as by a s.III. To s. up • seal (v.): I. To put a s. to a letter or document: 1. signo, 1: Cic. Att. 11, 1 (accepi a te libellum signatum): Hor.: Ov. Comps.: (1) obsigno, 1 (to s. up; s. with legal formality; esp. in the case of depositions, etc. in court): when I had already s.'d up my letter, obsignata jam epistola, Cic. Att. 8, 6: cf. id. Clu. 14, 41 (testamentum in alias tabulas transscriptum, signis adulterinis obsignavit, he s.'d it up with forged s.s): for the technical legal use, cf. id. Quint. 21, 67, ejus rei conditionisque tabellas obsignaverunt viri boni complures. (2.) consigno, 1 (of a number of persons putting their s.s to a document together): Cic. Quint. 6, 25 (tabulae maximis signis hominum nobilium consignantur) (3.) assigno, 1 (rare): Pers. 5, 81. 2. expr. by signum (signa) imprimere: Hor. S. 2, 6, 38. II. To certify as by a s.: Phr.: that circumstance s.'d the fate of the city, *haec res quasi exscidio urbem addixisse videbatur: he s.'d his confession by his death, *confessionem suam morte tanquam obsignatam tulit. III. To s. up: (a.) Lit. obsigno, 1: v. supr. (I.). (b.) Fig., to close: comprĭmo, ŏpĕrio, etc.: v. to shut, close. "In time of service s. up both thine eyes," *rem divinam faciens, oculos tu bene compressos [et quasi obsignatos] habeto.
SEAL Copy link • SEAL 1. s. A sea-calf, Vid. 2. s. PROP., Impression, signum: sigillum. To break a seal, resignare. A stamp, *forma qua signatoria utimur. A seal ring, annulus quo signatorio utimur (Valerius Max., 8, 14, 4). Figuratively, fides. To tell a thing to anybody under the seal of secrecy, taciturnitati et fidei alicujus clam concredere aliquid (Vid: Plaut., Trin., 1, 2, 104; not, as Ruhnken writes, dicere alicui aliquid sub fide silentii, which is not Latin). I tell you this under the seal of secrecy, hoc tibi soli dictum puta; haec tu tecum habeto; hoc tibi in aurem dixerim; hoc lapidi dixerim (☞ not sub rosa tibi hoc dixerim). 3. v. signare: consignare (☞ not subsignare in this sense): obsignare (to seal up): signo imprimere aliquid: sigillum imprimere in re (to imprint the mark of a seal; e.g., in cera, on wax). To seal despatches, signo suo tabellas imprimere: to seal a letter, litteris sigillum imprimere: sealed up, obsignatus