sake

1
[ seyk ]
See synonyms for sake on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. cause, account, interest, or benefit: for the sake of all students.

  2. purpose or end: for the sake of appearances.

Origin of sake

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sacu “lawsuit, cause”; cognate with German Sache “thing,” Old Norse sǫk “lawsuit”; akin to seek

Other words for sake

Other definitions for sake (2 of 2)

sake2

or sa·ké, sa·ki

[ sah-kee ]

noun
  1. a Japanese fermented, mildly alcoholic beverage made from rice.

Origin of sake

2
First recorded in 1680–90; from Japanese sake; compare Okinawan saki

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for sake (1 of 2)

sake1

/ (seɪk) /


noun
  1. benefit or interest (esp in the phrase for (someone's or one's own) sake)

  2. the purpose of obtaining or achieving (esp in the phrase for the sake of (something))

  1. used in various exclamations of impatience, urgency, etc: for heaven's sake; for pete's sake

Origin of sake

1
C13 (in the phrase for the sake of, probably from legal usage): from Old English sacu lawsuit (hence, a cause); related to Old Norse sok, German Sache matter

British Dictionary definitions for sake (2 of 2)

sake2

sak or saki

/ (ˈsækɪ) /


noun
  1. a Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice

Origin of sake

2
C17: from Japanese

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with sake

sake

see for the sake of.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.