Meaning & use
sealing
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Meanings
noununcountable
The act of closing something tightly so that air, liquid or other material cannot get in or out.
Grammar: Uncountable noun from seal: the sealing of the jar.
Patterns
- the sealing of something
- sealing against something
Proper sealing of the windows reduced the draft.
The sealing of the package took only a minute.
Poor sealing allowed moisture into the box.
nouncountable or uncountable
A material or layer put on a surface or joint to make it watertight or airtight.
Grammar: Often used before another noun, such as a sealing strip or sealing compound.
Patterns
- a sealing strip
- sealing around something
The plumber applied extra sealing around the bath.
A rubber sealing runs along the edge of the door.
Cracks in the old sealing caused the leak.
noununcountableformal
The act of formally confirming a document or agreement by attaching a seal.
Grammar: Often in a legal setting: the sealing of the deed.
Patterns
- the sealing of a document
The sealing of the treaty took place at noon.
Wax sealing of letters was once standard practice.
A clerk witnessed the sealing of the deed.
Word forms
| plural | sealings |
|---|
Common combinations
- heat sealing
- Heat sealing keeps the snack bags fresh.
- sealing tape
- Use sealing tape on the edges of the box.
- sealing wax
- The letter was closed with red sealing wax.
- sealing strip
- A worn sealing strip let rain into the car.
- airtight sealing
- Airtight sealing prevents food from spoiling.
Synonyms and how they differ
- closing
- Closing is general and may leave gaps, while sealing means closing so that nothing leaks.
- waterproofing
- Waterproofing focuses on keeping out water specifically, while sealing may block air, dust or liquid.
- caulking
- Caulking is applying a filler to gaps in buildings, a narrower practical sense of sealing.
- fastening
- Fastening joins parts together but does not necessarily make the join leak-proof.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: sealing or ceiling? sealing or sealant?
sealing vs ceiling
Ceiling is the top inner surface of a room and sounds the same as sealing in some accents, but means something different.
sealing vs sealant
A sealant is the material used, while sealing is the process or its result.
Practice
The workers noticed water coming through because the ___ around the window had cracked.
Choose one answer.
Sealing here is the material that keeps the window watertight. Ceiling sounds similar but names a room surface.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sealing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.