The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Confiscate \Con"fis*cate\ (? or ?), a. [L. confiscatus, p. p. of
   confiscare to confiscate, prop., to lay up in a chest; con- +
   fiscus basket, purse, treasury. See Fiscal.]
   Seized and appropriated by the government to the public use;
   forfeited.
   [1913 Webster]

         Lest that your goods too soon be confiscate. --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Confiscate \Con"fis*cate\ (? or ?; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
   Confiscated; p. pr. & vb. n. Confiscating.]
   To seize as forfeited to the public treasury; to appropriate
   to the public use.
   [1913 Webster]

         It was judged that he should be banished and his whole
         estate confiscated and seized.           --Bacon.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

confiscate
    adj 1: surrendered as a penalty [syn: confiscate, forfeit,
           forfeited]
    v 1: take temporary possession of as a security, by legal
         authority; "The FBI seized the drugs"; "The customs agents
         impounded the illegal shipment"; "The police confiscated
         the stolen artwork" [syn: impound, attach, sequester,
         confiscate, seize]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

26 Moby Thesaurus words for "confiscate":
   accroach, annex, appropriate, arrogate, attach, collectivize,
   commandeer, communalize, communize, distrain, expropriate, garnish,
   impound, impress, levy, nationalize, preempt, press, replevin,
   replevy, seize, sequester, sequestrate, socialize, take,
   take away