A Seine Is a Net, and Also a River
A seine is a large fishing net hung vertically in the water. The word is unrelated to the French river of the same spelling.
A seine is a large fishing net hung vertically in the water, with floats along the top and weights along the bottom. The word has nothing to do with the river Seine despite the identical spelling: the net comes from Greek *sagene*, a fishing net, through Latin and Old English, while the river's name is Gaulish. A *purse seine* closes at the bottom like a drawstring bag, trapping a whole shoal — the main method of commercial tuna fishing.
- A vertical fishing net. *A seine net.*
- Purse seine — one that closes below. *A purse seine.*
- Seining — fishing with a seine. *Seining.*
- Greek — *sagene*, a net. *The source.*
- The river Seine — unrelated. *The Seine.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | seine | A seine. |
| Plural | seines | Seines. |
| Verb | seine | Seine the bay. |
| Compound | purse seine | Purse seine. |
| Greek | sagene | A net. |
- They hauled the seine onto the beach.Fishing.
- Purse seines close from below.Method.
- The river name is unrelated.Coincidence.
Kinds of fishing net
- Seine — hung vertically, encircling fish
- Purse seine — a seine that draws closed at the bottom
- Trawl — a bag dragged behind a boat
- Gillnet — a wall of mesh that catches fish by the gills
- Longline — not a net at all, a line of baited hooks
Old English *segne*, from Latin *sagena*, from Greek *sagene*, a fishing net. Unrelated to the river name.
Is the net named after the river Seine?
No. The net comes from Greek sagene through Latin; the river's name is Gaulish. The spellings coincide by accident.
What is a purse seine?
A seine net whose bottom draws closed like a drawstring purse, trapping a whole shoal. It is the main method of tuna fishing.