sequester

verb

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se·ques·ter | \ si-ˈkwe-stər

sequestered; sequestering\ si-ˈkwe-st(ə-)riŋ

Definition of sequester

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to set apart : segregate sequester a jury

b : seclude, withdraw widely spaced homes are forbiddingly grand and sequestered— Don Asher

2a : to seize especially by a writ of sequestration

b : to place (property) in custody especially in sequestration

3 : to bind (a metal or metal ion) in the form of a soluble complex or chelate by adding a suitable reagent for the purpose of preventing precipitation in water solution by chemical agents that would normally bring it about, of solubilizing precipitates already formed, or of otherwise suppressing undesired chemical or biological activity sequester calcium and magnesium ions in the softening of hard water also : to bind or absorb (carbon dioxide) as part of a larger chemical process or compound … half of the starting material will be used up and half will be char. That can then be put back on the fields, where it will sequester carbon and help grow the next crop. — Emma Marris

sequester

noun

Definition of sequester (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the imposition of automatic government spending reductions in accordance with sequestration

2 obsolete : separation, isolation

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Synonyms & Antonyms for sequester

Synonyms: Verb

Antonyms: Verb

Examples of sequester in a Sentence

Verb The jury was sequestered until a verdict was reached. He was sequestered in his room.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Another option is for a corporation to pay a DAC facility to sequester CO2 underground on its behalf, so the company can boast about being carbon-negative or neutral. — Matt Simon, Wired, "Is It Time for an Emergency Rollout of Carbon-Eating Machines?," 26 Jan. 2021 The elderly were at high risk—why not sequester the most vulnerable? — Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, "The Plague Year," 28 Dec. 2020 Regenerative practices, however, could sequester as many as 11.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide worldwide each year, some studies suggest. — Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, "5 things you need to know about what Biden’s plan for a carbon market means for farmers," 18 Jan. 2021 Regenerative practices, some studies suggest, could sequester as many as 11.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide worldwide each year. — IndyStar, "There is a lot of money on the table with carbon markets. But farmers are skeptical.," 18 Jan. 2021 To test the plant’s power to sequester debris, the researchers quantified the plastic collected in seagrass on four beaches on the Spanish island of Mallorca between 2018 and 2019, per New Scientist. — Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, "This Seagrass Traps Marine Plastic," 15 Jan. 2021 Many teams will travel one more time as the pandemic’s third wave crests to play in bowl games that will sequester them to their hotels. — J. Brady Mccollough Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Commentary: College football quickly learned how to protect revenues by risking player safety," 6 Dec. 2020 Paul was frantically setting up triage procedures—guessing which cases were COVID, and trying to sequester those patients, in order to prevent them from infecting everyone at the hospital. — Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, "The Plague Year," 28 Dec. 2020 Traditionally on Bachelorette and Bachelor, producers sequester the top three in their own private lodgings starting with Fantasy Suites. — Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, "The Bachelorette Found A Hellish New Way To Talk About Sex," 22 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The sequester order for students in dormitories ended at noon. — Washington Post, "U-Md. lifts sequester order for campus residents as coronavirus cases appear contained," 27 Feb. 2021 Stonyfield isn’t the only food company betting big on meeting its carbon reduction pledge by shifting its farmers toward regenerative agriculture practices that sequester carbon in soil, among other benefits. — Meg Wilcox, Smithsonian Magazine, "To Meet Ambitious Emissions Goals, Large Food Companies Are Looking to Lock Carbon in Soil," 20 Feb. 2021 In a recent paper in the journal Nature Communications, a team of researchers crunched the numbers, arguing that it’s feasible for humanity to embark on a wartime-style crash deployment of a global network of machines that sequester carbon. — Matt Simon, Wired, "Is It Time for an Emergency Rollout of Carbon-Eating Machines?," 26 Jan. 2021 The Straus Family Creamery was the first in California to implement a carbon farm plan, with the help of the Marin Carbon Project, to reduce emissions and sequester more carbon. — Danielle Echeverria, San Francisco Chronicle, "How Bay Area farms could give Biden a blueprint for fighting climate change," 12 Feb. 2021 Scientists caution that uncertainties remain about the ability of farmers to sequester carbon in their soil. — New York Times, "Two Biden Priorities, Climate and Inequality, Meet on Black-Owned Farms," 31 Jan. 2021 The overuse and underfunding of the armed forces, culminating in the disastrous sequester. — Jim Talent, National Review, "In Defense of Trump’s National-Security Record," 30 Oct. 2020 They've also been shown to sequester greenhouse gases, sparking excitement from some in the environmental community, who see regenerative farming as a potential tool in the fight against climate change. — London Gibson, The Indianapolis Star, "'The biggest obstacle is change': How farmers are being convinced to update their methods," 18 Jan. 2021 While the on-board sequester is over, the pressure to get back on schedule is still on. — Andrew Dyer, San Diego Union-Tribune, "San Diego ship captain orders crew sequestered over holidays, Navy reverses decision," 3 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sequester.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

1 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Sequester.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sequester. Accessed 7 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for sequester

sequester

verb

English Language Learners Definition of sequester

formal : to keep (a person or group) apart from other people

law : to take (property) until a debt has been paid

See the full definition for sequester in the English Language Learners Dictionary

sequester

transitive verb

se·ques·ter | \ si-ˈkwes-tər

Medical Definition of sequester

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to hold (as a metallic ion) in solution especially for the purpose of suppressing undesired chemical or biological activity

sequester

noun

Medical Definition of sequester (Entry 2 of 2)

: sequestrum

sequester

transitive verb

se·ques·ter | \ si-ˈkwes-tər

sequestered; sequestering

Legal Definition of sequester

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to place (as a jury or witness) in seclusion or isolation

Note: Juries are sequestered in order to preserve their impartiality. Witnesses are sequestered so that their testimony is not influenced by the testimony of prior witnesses.

2a : to seize especially by a writ of sequestration

b : to deposit (property) in sequestration

sequester

noun

Legal Definition of sequester (Entry 2 of 2)

: sequestration sense 3

History and Etymology for sequester

Transitive verb

Anglo-French sequestrer, from Middle French, from Latin sequestrare to hand over to a trustee, from sequester third party to whom disputed property is entrusted, agent, from secus beside, otherwise

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