▪ I. seen, ppl. a.
(siːn)
[pa. pple. of see v.]
1. In senses of the verb. Now rare exc. in antithesis with unseen (cf. sene a.).
| 1434 Misyn Fire of Love ii. xii. 129 Als we in dyrknes standand seys noþinge, so in contemplacione þat vnsemly lightis þe saule, noo seyn light we see. 1561 Norton & Sackv. Gorboduc ii. ii. 9 Ne bring I to my lorde reported tales Without the ground of seen and searched trouth. 1585 Jas. I Ess. Poesie vii. (Arb.) 66 It is best that ze inuent zour awin subiect, zour self, and not to compose of sene subiectis. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia ii. (Sommer) 127 By a more felt then seene maner of proceeding. 1615 Chapman Odyss. xx. 291 Philætius tooke note in his repaire, Of seene Vlysses. 1636 Heywood Chall. Beauty ii. C 3, And should I not in unseene Vertue strive To equall that seene beautie you so prayse. Ibid. iv. F 4, Let not thy seene griefe please him. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. I. vi. i, Sanctioned..if not by a seen Deity, then by an unseen one. 1858 T. Guthrie Christ & Inher. Saints (1860) 162 They cannot stand seen death. |
b. absol. That which is seen or visible as contrasted with that which is unseen or invisible.
| 1848 Lowell Biglow P. Ser. i. (1859) p. xxxiv [Burlesque of Carlyle], He shall paint the Seen, since the Unseen will not sit to him. 1897 F. Thompson New Poems 61 Man! swinging-wicket set Between The Unseen and Seen. |
† c. Provided, furnished. (Cf. beseen s.v. besee v. 9.) Obs. rare.
| c 1450 Merlin xiv. 204 A-noon thei lighten and yede vp in-to the halle that was right feire and welle seyn. |
2. to be (well, ill, etc.) seen: to be (well, ill, etc.) versed in some art or science.
Very common in the 16th and 17th centuries. Now arch.
| 1528 Tindale Obed. Chr. Man Pref. 16 b, A man must fyrst be well sene in Aristoteles yer he can vnderstonde the scripture saye they. 1528 Roy Rede me (Arb.) 49 In sondrye sciences he is sene. 1561 T. Hoby tr. Castiglione's Courtyer (1900) 369 To be meanly seene in the play at Chestes, and not overcounninge. a 1577 Sir T. Smith Commw. Eng. ii. xxix. (1633) 177 A man seene in the Lawes of the Realme. 1594 Carew Huarte's Exam. Wits (1616) 311 They are slenderly seene in naturall Phylosophie. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. i. ii. 134 A schoole-master Well seene in Musicke. a 1612 Harington St. Church (1653) 174 A man well spoken, properly seen in Languages. 1620 E. Blount Horæ Subs. 286 Men of mature yeares, and seene in the warres. 1759 Bp. Hurd Moral Dialogues iv. 165 note, This was frank. But Sir James Melvil was too well seen in courts to have used this language, if he had not understood it would be welcome. 1786 Burns Ep. to J. Smith viii, There's ither Poets, much your betters, Far seen in Greek, deep men o' letters. 1886 A. Lang in Longman's Mag. Feb. 443 The bibliophile..was extremely well seen in the naughty little novels of the eighteenth century. |
† b. rarely with other prepositions. Obs.
| 1583 T. Stocker Civ. Warres Lowe C. iii. 124 b, There were some, who thought themselues very well seene about these field bankes. 1650 H. More Observ. in Enthus. Tri., etc. (1656) 81 This new Writer is the onely man, that is both deeply seen into the Center of Nature, and as willing also to publish these spiritual mysteries. |
† c. Hence without const. Obs.
| 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. III. 1254/1 Better seene antiquaries than my selfe. |
▪ II. † seen, quasi-prep. and quasi-conj. Obs.
[pa. pple. of see v., in absolute construction with following n. Cf. F. vu.]
a. quasi-prep. Seeing, considering. b. quasi-conj. (More fully seen that.) Seeing, considering, since, inasmuch as.
| a. 1470–85 Malory Arthur v. viii. 175 For his [Arthur's] myght and prowesse is most to be doubted seen the noble kynges and grete multytude of knyghtes of the round table. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. i. i. 1 To put it forth without other thyng seen the lytylhed of my persone. 1559 Mirr. Mag., Earl Salisb. ii, But seen the date so doubtful and so short,..I can not chuse but prayse the princely minde That preaseth for it. |
| b. 1484 Caxton Curiall 8 Seen that it is [not] a thyng more free in a man than to lyue naturelly. c 1500 Melusine xix. (1891) 107 Seen & considered that the Cite is strong. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon ix. 26, I am sory therof, but seen it is done, yf [etc.]. 1577–86 Holinshed Hist. Scot. 309/1 Therefore seene you thinke it not gude to inuade, my councell is that we campe still on the bordures. |