seek
verbnouncommon in dialogue
- //ˈsiːk//
- /[ˈsɪi̯k]/
To try to find; to look for; to search for.
verb
- 1
To try to find; to look for; to search for.
I seek wisdom.
"No, you wait. You're obviously a very sick man. I think you need to seek professional help. I'm sorry, but I can't help you."
Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus.[…]A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that. Developed as a tool to electronically combine the sharpest bits of multiple digital images, focus stacking is a boon to biologists seeking full focus on a micron scale.
- 2
To try to acquire or gain; to strive after.
I sought my fortune on the goldfields.
But persecution sought the lives of men of this character.
I can no longer seek fame or glory, nor can I help trying to get rid of my riches, which separate me from my fellow-creatures.
Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes.[…]She put back a truant curl from her forehead where it had sought egress to the world, and looked him full in the face now, drawing a deep breath which caused the round of her bosom to lift the lace at her throat.
- 3
To try to reach or come to (a location).
When the alarm went off I sought the exit in a panic.
Seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.
Since great Ulysses sought the Phrygian plains
- 4
To attempt, to try [with infinitive ‘to do something’].
Our company does not seek to limit its employees from using the internet or engaging in social networking.
- 5
To ask for; to solicit.
I seek forgiveness through repentance.
Others, tempting him, sought of him a sign.
“My, my! It is indeed a long way yet, look you!” said the pleasant woman of whom I sought directions.
- 6
obsoleteTo go, to move, to travel (in a given direction).
Ryght so he sought[…]towarde Sandewyche where he founde before hym many galyard knyghtes
- 7
To move to a specified location (particularly of a disk drive or similar device).
This function instructs the hard drive to seek to a specified track.
- 8
To navigate through a data stream.
Most of the changes made to this control are to accommodate the various constraints that playback of streaming media may impose in broadcast streams, such as the inability to seek through the media.
Etymology
From Middle English seke, seken, from Old English sēċan, sēċean, sœ̄ċan, from Proto-West Germanic *sōkijan, from Proto-Germanic *sōkijaną (“to seek”), from Proto-Indo-European *séh₂gyeti (“to seek out”), from *seh₂g- (“to follow, trace”). Cognates Cognate with Yola zeek (“to seek”), North Frisian schük, sjuk, säke (“to search, seek”), Saterland Frisian säike (“to search, seek”), West Frisian sykje (“to seek”), Alemannic German sueche, süeche (“to search, seek”), Bavarian suacha, suachn (“to search”), Central Franconian söke (“to search”), Cimbrian züuchan (“to seek”), Dutch zoeken (“to seek”), Low German söken (“to seek”), German suchen (“to seek”), Luxembourgish sichen (“to seek; to fetch”), Vilamovian zihia, zihja (“to seek”), Yiddish זוכן (zukhn, “to search, seek”), Danish søge (“to seek; to apply”), Faroese søkja (“to seek”), Icelandic sækja (“to seek”), Norwegian Bokmål søke (“to seek; to apply”), Norwegian Nynorsk søka, søke, søkja, søkje (“to seek; to apply”), Swedish söka (“to search”), Gothic 𐍃𐍉𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (sōkjan, “to seek”); also Cornish hedhes (“to reach; to achieve; to manage”), Welsh haeddu (“to deserve, merit”), Latin sāgiō (“to perceive quickly or keenly with the senses”), Ancient Greek ἡγέομαι (hēgéomai, “to go before, precede; to lead; to believe, hold”), Albanian gjegj (“to answer; to obey”), Hittite 𒊭𒀀𒆠𒄑𒍣 (ša-a-ki-ez-zi, “to seek out”). The Middle English and later Modern English hard /k/ derives from Old English sēcð, the third person singular.
noun
- 1
The operation of navigating through a stream.
The number of seeks to retrieve a shot […] depends on the location of those frames on physical blocks.
Forms
- plural
- seeks
- past tense
- sought, seeked
- past participle
- sought, seeked
- present participle
- seeking
- third person singular
- seeks