Great Seal noun

A seal kept by the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper and used on the most important state papers

great tit noun

A kind of tit (see tit¹), Parus major, with yellow, black and white markings

great toe see under toe

greatˈ-uncle noun

A grandparent's brother or a grandparent's sister's husband

Great War noun

A term applied esp to the war of 1914–18

Great White Way noun

1. A nickname for Broadway in New York
2. Any brightly lit street with theatres, etc

great year noun (astronomy)

The length of time (about 25800 years) it takes for the equinoctial points to make a complete revolution

Great Scott!

An exclamation of surprise

the Great and the Good

(an assembly of) eminent, worthy and respected public figures (often somewhat ironic in use)

the greatest (informal)

1. A wonderful, marvellous person or thing
2. The outstanding performers in their field

the great unwashed

A contemptuous term for the general populace

seal¹ /sēl/

noun

1. A piece of wax, lead or other material, stamped with a device and attached as a means of authentication or attestation
2. A substitute for this, such as a wafer or circular mark
3. A piece of wax, etc, stamped or not, used as a means of keeping something closed
4. The design stamped
5. An engraved stone or other stamp for impressing a device, or a trinket of similar form
6. An adhesive label, esp decorative, for a Christmas parcel, etc, sold for charity
7. A token or symbol to confirm a bargain, etc
8. Any device which keeps something closed
9. An obligation to secrecy
10. An impression
11. A device to prevent the passage of a gas, air, water, etc
12. Water in a gas trap
13. A road surface sealed with bitumen, etc (Aust and NZ)
14. An animal's, esp an otter's, footprint

transitive verb

1. To put a seal on
2. To stamp
3. To fasten with a seal
4. To give confirmation of
5. To ratify
6. To close up, esp permanently or for a long time
7. To enclose
8. To decide, settle irrevocably
9. To set apart
10. To seal (a road surface) with bitumen, etc, to tarmac (Aust and NZ)
11. To paint with a protective substance

intransitive verb

To set one's seal to something

sealˈable adjective

sealˈant noun

Any device or (esp cement-like) substance used to seal a gap to prevent the passage of water, etc

sealed adjective

sealˈer noun

1. A person or thing that seals
2. A substance used to coat a surface for protection, impermeability, etc

sealˈing noun

sealedˈ-beam adjective

(of car headlights) consisting of a complete unit sealed within a vacuum

sealed book noun

Something beyond one's knowledge or understanding (also closed book)

sealˈ-engraving noun

The art of engraving seals

sealing wax (also obsolete sealˈwax) noun

Formerly beeswax, now usu a composition of shellac, turpentine, vermilion or other colouring matter, etc, for making decorative seals

sealˈ-pipe noun

A dip-pipe

seal ring noun

A signet ring

Great Seal

(also without caps) the state seal of the United Kingdom

Lord Privy Seal

Formerly the keeper of the Privy Seal, now the senior cabinet minister without official duties

Privy Seal

(also without caps) formerly, the seal appended to documents that were to receive, or did not require, authorization by the Great Seal, in Scotland used esp to authenticate royal grants of personal rights

seal off

To make it impossible for any thing or person to leave or enter (eg an area)

set one's seal to or on

To give one's authority or assent to

the seals

Symbolically the office of Lord Chancellor or of Secretary of State

under seal

Authenticated

under sealed orders

Under orders only to be opened at a stated time