seine

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

seine, n. [F. seine, or AS. segene, bth fr. L. sagena, Gr. .].

 A large net, one edge of which is provided with sinkers, and the other with floats. It hangs vertically in the water, and when its ends are brought together or drawn ashore incloses the fish.  [1913 Webster]

Seine boat, a boat specially constructed to carry and pay out a seine.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

seine, n. & v.
--n. (also seine-net) a fishing-net for encircling fish, with floats at the top and weights at the bottom edge, and usu. hauled ashore.
--v.intr. & tr. fish or catch with a seine.

Derivative

seiner n.

Etymology

ME f. OF sa{iuml}ne, & OE segne f. WG f. L sagena f. Gk sagene

DEVIL DICTIONARY

seine

n. A kind of net for effecting an involuntary change of environment. For fish it is made strong and coarse, but women are more easily taken with a singularly delicate fabric weighted with small, cut stones.

The devil casting a seine of lace,
(With precious stones 'twas weighted)
Drew it into the landing place
And its contents calculated.

All souls of women were in that sack --
A draft miraculous, precious!
But ere he could throw it across his back
They'd all escaped through the meshes.
Baruch de Loppis