Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To churn and foam as if boiling.
  • intransitive verb To be in a state of turmoil or ferment.
  • intransitive verb To be violently excited or agitated: synonym: boil.
  • intransitive verb Archaic To boil.
  • intransitive verb To boil (something).

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To boil; decoct, or prepare for food by boiling: as, to seethe flesh.
  • To soak.
  • To boil; be in a state of ebullition, literally or figuratively.
  • To boil: prepare food by boiling.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To be a state of ebullition or violent commotion; to be hot; to boil.
  • transitive verb To decoct or prepare for food in hot liquid; to boil.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To boil.
  • verb intransitive, of a liquid To boil vigorously.
  • verb intransitive, of a liquid To foam in an agitated manner, as if boiling.
  • verb intransitive, of a person, figuratively To be in an agitated or angry mental state, as if boiling.
  • verb intransitive, of a place, figuratively To buzz with activity.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb be in an agitated emotional state
  • verb be noisy with activity
  • verb boil vigorously
  • verb foam as if boiling

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English sethen, to boil, from Old English sēothan.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English sethen, from Old English sēoþan ("to seethe, boil, cook in a liquid; subject to a fiery ordeal, try as with fire; subject to great pain, afflict, afflict grievously, disturb; prepare food for the mind; subject the mind with occupations; be troubled in mind, brood"), from Proto-Germanic *seuþanan (“to seethe, boil”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂seut-, *h₂sut-, *h₂sew- (“to move about, roil, seethe”). Akin to Scots seth, seith ("to seethe"), Dutch zieden ("to seethe, boil"), Low German seden ("to seethe"), German sieden ("to seethe, boil"), Danish syde ("to seethe, boil"), Swedish sjuda ("to seethe, boil"), Icelandic sjóða ("to seethe, boil"). Related also to Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌿𐌸𐍃 (sauþs, "burnt offering, sacrifice"). Other cognates include Albanian zjej ("boil, seethe").

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Examples

  • Popular art forms are the cutting edge of literature: they're where the seethe is, and where the seethe is is where the art is.

    hark! is that the sound of a lasagna noodle being laid on a bed of ricotta cheese? cupidsbow 2007

  • One that didn't ask permission from the seethe, which is a big no-no in the vampire community.

    Vampires and Werewolves and Demons....Oh My! Stephanie 2008

  • This done, she letteth her mash run till the malt be left without liquor, or at the leastwise the greatest part of the moisture, which she perceiveth by the stay and soft issue thereof; and by this time her second liquor in the furnace is ready to seethe, which is put also to the malt, as the first woort also again into the furnace, whereunto she addeth two pounds of the best English hops, and so letteth them seethe together by the space of two hours in summer or an hour and a half in winter, whereby it getteth an excellent colour, and continuance without impeachment or any superfluous tartness.

    Chronicle and Romance (The Harvard Classics Series) Thomas Malory Jean Froissart

  • This done, she letteth her mash run till the malt be left without liquor, or at the leastwise the greatest part of the moisture, which she perceiveth by the stay and soft issue thereof; and by this time her second liquor in the furnace is ready to seethe, which is put also to the malt, as the first woort also again into the furnace, whereunto she addeth two pounds of the best English hops, and so letteth them seethe together by the space of two hours in summer or an hour and a half in winter, whereby it getteth an excellent colour, and continuance without impeachment or any superfluous tartness.

    Of the Food and Diet of the English. Chapter VI. [1577, Book III., Chapter 1; 1587, Book II., Chapter 6 1909

  • The Hebrew word for which "seethe" is here a translation might more readily be translated as "cook" or "boil."

    Dorf on Law Sherry F. Colb 2010

  • I'm imagining the words '' seethe '', '' apoplectic '' ...

    unknown title 2009

  • With all due respect to the writer of a recent letter to the editor, many left-wing liberals "seethe" over the messages brought by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh because they are daring to question our political leaders and their "give it all away" philosophy.

    unknown title 2009

  • I'm imagining the words 'seethe', 'apoplectic' ...

    The Sydney Morning Herald News Headlines 2009

  • If your response to this sit-down was to skulk off and seethe, then you're falling short of the find-peace-with-it standard, too.

    Fiance shortchanges her financial contributions Post 2011

  • Anyone who's read his work before will know the drill here, right down to the pupil-less animal-faced characters who seethe with inner pain while maintaining a stone-faced expression.

    Robot reviews: Low Moon | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment 2009

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  • c1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 276 Gif mon syth garleac on henne brothe.

    May 27, 2008

  • see the

    November 21, 2013