n. [ OE. sege, OF. siege, F. siège a seat, a siege; cf. It. seggia, seggio, zedio, a seat, asseggio, assedio, a siege, F. assiéger to besiege, It. & LL. assediare, L. obsidium a siege, besieging; all ultimately fr. L. sedere to sit. See Sit, and cf. See, n. ] 1. A seat; especially, a royal seat; a throne. [ Obs. ] “Upon the very siege of justice.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] A stately siege of sovereign majesty,
And thereon sat a woman gorgeous gay. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ] In our great hall there stood a vacant chair . . .
And Merlin called it “The siege perilous.” Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Hence, place or situation; seat. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ] Ah! traitorous eyes, come out of your shameless siege forever. Painter (Palace of Pleasure). [ 1913 Webster ] 3. Rank; grade; station; estimation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ] I fetch my life and being
From men of royal siege. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. Passage of excrements; stool; fecal matter. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ] The siege of this mooncalf. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] 5. The sitting of an army around or before a fortified place for the purpose of compelling the garrison to surrender; the surrounding or investing of a place by an army, and approaching it by passages and advanced works, which cover the besiegers from the enemy's fire. See the Note under Blockade. [ 1913 Webster ] 6. Hence, a continued attempt to gain possession. [ 1913 Webster ] Love stood the siege, and would not yield his breast. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ] 7. The floor of a glass-furnace. [ 1913 Webster ] 8. A workman's bench. Knught. [ 1913 Webster ]
Siege gun, a heavy gun for siege operations. --
Siege train, artillery adapted for attacking fortified places. [ 1913 Webster ]
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