sēcan, w. v., _to follow after_, hence: 1) _to seek, strive for_, w. acc.: pret. sg. sinc-fæt sōhte _(sought the costly cup_), 2301; ne sōhte searo-nīðas, 2739; so, 3068. Without acc.: þonne his myne sōhte (_than his wish demanded_), 2573; hord-weard sōhte georne æfter grunde (_the hoard-warden sought eagerly along the ground_), 2294.--2) _to look for, come_ or _go some whither, attain something_, w. acc.: pres. sg. III. sē þe ... biorgas sēceð, 2273; subj. þēah þe hǣð-stapa holt-wudu sēce, 1370; imper. sēc gif þū dyrre (_look for her_, i.e. Grendel's mother, _if thou dare_), 1380; inf. sēcean, 200, 268, 646, 1598, 1870, 1990, 2514(?), 3103, etc.; sēcan, 665, 1451; drihten sēcean (_seek, go to, the Lord_), 187; sēcean wyn-lēas wīc (_Grendel was to seek a joyless place_, i.e. Hell), 822; so, sēcan dēofla gedræg, 757; sāwle sēcan (_seek the life, kill_), 802; so, sēcean sāwle hord, 2423; gerund. sæcce tō sēceanne, 2563; pret. sg. I., III. sōhte, 139, 208, 376, 417, 2224; II. sōhtest, 458; pl. sōhton, 339.--3) _to seek, attack_: þē ūs sēceað tō Swēona lēode, 3002; pret. pl. hine wræc-mæcgas ofer sǣ sōhtan, 2381. ge-sēcan: 1) _to seek_, w. acc.: inf. gif hē gesēcean dear wīg ofer wǣpen, 685.--2) _to look for, come_ or _go to attain_, w. acc.: inf. ge-sēcean, 693; gerund, tō ge-sēcanne, 1923; pret. sg. ge-sōhte, 463, 520, 718, 1952; pret. part. nom. pl. feor-cȳððe bēoð sēlran ge-sōhte þām þe hine selfa dēah, 1840.--3) _to seek with hostile intent, to attack_: pres. sg. ge-sēceð 2516; pret. sg. ge-sōhte, 2347; pl. ge-sōhton, 2927; ge-sōhtan, 2205. ofer-sēcan, w. acc., _to surpass, outdo_ (in an attack): pres. sg. wæs sīo hond tō strong, sē þe mēca gehwane ... swenge ofer-sōhte, þonne hē tō sæcce bær wǣpen wundrum heard (_too strong was the hand, that surpassed every sword in stroke, when he_ [Bēowulf] _bore the wondrous weapon to battle_, i.e. the hand was too strong for any sword; its strength made it useless in battle), 2687. sēl, st. f. See sǣl. sēl, sǣl, adj., _good, excellent, fit_, only in compar.: nom. sg. m. sēlra, 861, 2194; þǣm þǣr sēlra wæs (_to the one that was the better_, i.e. Hygelāc), 2200; dēað bið sēlla þonne edwīt-līf, 2891; neut. sēlre, 1385; acc. sg. m. sēlran þē (_a better than thee_), 1851; sēlran, 1198; neut. þæt sēlre, 1760; dat. sg. m. sēlran sweord-frecan, 1469; nom. pl. fem. sēlran, 1840. Superl., strong form: nom. sg. neut. sēlest, 173, 1060; hūsa sēlest, 146, 285, 936; ofost is sēlest, 256; bolda sēlest, 2327; acc. sg. neut. hrægla sēlest, 454; hūsa sēlest, 659; billa sēlest, 1145;--weak form: nom. sg. m. reced sēlesta, 412; acc. sg. m. þone sēlestan, 1407, 2383; (þæs, MS.), 1957; dat. sg. m. þǣm sēlestan, 1686; nom. pl. sēlestan, 416; acc. pl. þā sēlestan, 3123. sēl, compar. adv., _better, fitter, more excellent_, 1013, 2531; ne byð him wihte þē sēl (_he shall be nought the better for it_), 2278; so, 2688. sealma (Frisian selma, in bed-selma), w. m., _bed-chamber, sleeping-place_: acc. sg. on sealman, 2461.