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safe

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safe

[seyf] adjective, saf⋅er, saf⋅est, noun
–adjective
1. secure from liability to harm, injury, danger, or risk: a safe place.
2. free from hurt, injury, danger, or risk: to arrive safe and sound.
3. involving little or no risk of mishap, error, etc.: a safe estimate.
4. dependable or trustworthy: a safe guide.
5. careful to avoid danger or controversy: a safe player; a safe play.
6. denied the chance to do harm; in secure custody: a criminal safe in jail.
7. Baseball.
a. reaching base without being put out: safe on the throw to first base.
b. making it possible to reach a base: a safe slide.
–noun
8. a steel or iron box or repository for money, jewels, papers, etc.
9. any receptacle or structure for the storage or preservation of articles: a meat safe.
10. (in plumbing)
a. a pan for catching leakage.
b. template (def. 7).
11. Slang. a condom.

Origin:
1250–1300; (adj.) ME sauf, saf < AF saf, OF sauf < L salvus intact, whole; (n.) late ME save, orig. deriv. of save 1 , assimilated to the adj.; cf. salvation


safely, adverb
safeness, noun


1. protected, sound, guarded. Safe, secure may both imply that something can be regarded as free from danger. These words are frequently interchangeable. Safe, however, is applied rather to a person or thing that is out of or has passed beyond the reach of danger: The ship is safe in port. Secure is applied to that about which there is no need to fear or worry: to feel secure about the future; The foundation of the house does not seem very secure. 4. sure, reliable. 5. wary, careful. 8. strongbox, coffer, chest, safe-deposit box.

tem⋅plate

[tem-plit]
–noun
1. a pattern, mold, or the like, usually consisting of a thin plate of wood or metal, serving as a gauge or guide in mechanical work.
2. anything that determines or serves as a pattern; a model: You can use my notes as a template for employee evaluations.
3. Building Trades. a horizontal piece, as of timber or stone, in a wall, to receive and distribute the pressure of a girder, beam, or the like.
4. Shipbuilding. either of two wedges in each of the temporary blocks forming the support for the keel of a ship while building.
5. Aerial Photogrammetry. any object having lines, slots, or straightedges to represent lines radiating from the center of a photograph, used for graphic triangulation.
6. Genetics. a strand of DNA or RNA that serves as a pattern for the synthesis of a complementary strand of nucleic acid or protein.
7. Computers.
a. a small sheet or strip of cardboard, plastic, or the like, that fits over a portion of the keyboard and provides ready reference to the keystroke commands of a particular software program.
b. an electronic file with a predesigned, customized format and structure, as for a fax, letter, or expense report, ready to be filled in.
8. Also called safe. a marble base for a toilet.
Also, templet.


Origin:
1670–80; alter. of templet, appar. by falsely etymologizing final syllable as plate 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To safe
safe   (sāf)   
adj.   saf·er, saf·est
  1. Secure from danger, harm, or evil.

  2. Free from danger or injury; unhurt: safe and sound.

  3. Free from risk; sure: a safe bet.

  4. Affording protection: a safe place.

  5. Baseball Having reached a base without being put out, as a batter or base runner.

n.  
  1. A metal container usually having a lock, used for storing valuables.

  2. A repository for protecting stored items, especially a cooled compartment for perishable foods: a cheese safe.

  3. Slang A condom.


[Middle English sauf, from Old French, from Latin salvus, healthy; see sol- in Indo-European roots.]
safe'ly adv., safe'ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

template 
1677, templet "horizontal piece under a girder or beam," probably from Fr. templet "weaver's stretcher," dim. of temple, which meant the same thing, from L. templum "plank, rafter," also "building for worship" (see temple (1)). The meaning "pattern or gauge for shaping a piece of work" is first recorded 1819 in this form, earlier temple (1688); the form was altered 1844, probably influenced by plate, but the pronunciation did not begin to shift until much more recently.

safe  (n.)
"chest for keeping valuables," c.1430, save, from M.Fr. en sauf "in safety," from sauf (see safe (adj.)). Spelling with -f- first recorded 1688, from infl. of safe (adj.).

safe  (adj.)
c.1280, "uninjured, unharmed," from O.Fr. sauf, from L. salvus "uninjured, healthy, safe," related to salus "good health," saluber "healthful," all from PIE *solwos from base *sol- "whole" (cf. L. solidus "solid," Skt. sarvah "uninjured, intact, whole," Avestan haurva- "uninjured, intact," O.Pers. haruva-, Gk. holos "whole"). Meaning "not exposed to danger" is attested from 1387; of actions, etc., "free from risk," first recorded 1590. Safe-conduct (1297) is from O.Fr. sauf-conduit (13c.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: safe
Pronunciation: 'sAf
Function: adjective
Inflected Forms: saf·er; saf·est
: not causing harm or injury;especially : having a low incidence of adverse reactions and significant side effects when adequate instructions for use are given and having a low potential for harm under conditionsof widespread availability safe> <safe use in pregnancy has not been established —Emergency Medicine> —safe·ty /'sAf-tE/ noun plural -ties

Main Entry: tem·plate
Pronunciation: 'tem-pl&t
Function: noun
1 also tem·plet : a gauge, pattern, or mold used as aguide to the form of a piece being made
2 : a molecule (as of DNA) that serves as a pattern for the synthesis of another macromolecule (as messenger RNA)
Medical Dictionary

template tem·plate or tem·plet (těm'plĭt)
n.

  1. A pattern or gauge, such as a thin metal plate with a cut pattern, used as a guide in making something accurately, as in woodworking.

  2. A molecule, such as DNA, that serves as a pattern for the synthesis of a macromolecule, as of RNA.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Computing Dictionary

safe
A safe program analysis is one which will not reach invalid conclusions about the behaviour of the program. This may involve making safe approximations to properties of parts of the program. A safe approximation is one which gives less information.
For example, strictness analysis aims to answer the question "will this function evaluate its argument"?. The two possible results are "definitely" and "don't know". A safe approximation for "definitely" is "don't know". The two possible results correspond to the two sets: "the set of all functions which evaluate their argument" and "all functions". A set can be safely approximated by another which contains it.

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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Idioms & Phrases

safe

In addition to the idioms beginning with safe, also see better safe than sorry; on the safe side; play it safe.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Abbreviations & Acronyms
SAFE
  1. simulation analysis of financial exposure

  2. Smokefree Air for Everyone

The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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