sage

• POS: Adjective, Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

sage, n. [OE. sauge, F. sauge, L. salvia, from salvus saved, in allusion to its reputed healing virtues. See Safe.].

 A suffruticose labiate plant (Salvia officinalis) with grayish green foliage, much used in flavoring meats, etc. The name is often extended to the whole genus, of which many species are cultivated for ornament, as the scarlet sage, and Mexican red and blue sage.  [1913 Webster]

Meadow sage (Bot.), a blue-flowered species of Salvia (S. pratensis) growing in meadows in Europe. -- Sage cheese, cheese flavored with sage, and colored green by the juice of leaves of spinach and other plants which are added to the milk. -- Sage cock (Zoöl.), the male of the sage grouse; in a more general sense, the specific name of the sage grouse. -- Sage green, of a dull grayish green color, like the leaves of garden sage. -- Sage grouse (Zoöl.), a very large American grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), native of the dry sagebrush plains of Western North America. Called also cock of the plains. The male is called sage cock, and the female sage hen. -- Sage hare, or Sage rabbit (Zoöl.), a species of hare (Lepus Nuttalli syn. Lepus artemisia) which inhabits the arid regions of Western North America and lives among sagebrush. By recent writers it is considered to be merely a variety of the common cottontail, or wood rabbit. -- Sage hen (Zoöl.), the female of the sage grouse. -- Sage sparrow (Zoöl.), a small sparrow (Amphispiza Belli, var. Nevadensis) which inhabits the dry plains of the Rocky Mountain region, living among sagebrush. -- Sage thrasher (Zoöl.), a singing bird (Oroscoptes montanus) which inhabits the sagebrush plains of Western North America. -- Sage willow (Bot.), a species of willow (Salix tristis) forming a low bush with nearly sessile grayish green leaves.

sage, a. [F., fr. L. sapius (only in nesapius unwise, foolish), fr. sapere to be wise; perhaps akin to E. sap. Cf. Savor, Sapient, Insipid.].

•  Having nice discernment and powers of judging; prudent; grave; sagacious.  [1913 Webster]

  "All you sage counselors, hence!"  [1913 Webster]
•  Proceeding from wisdom; well judged; shrewd; well adapted to the purpose.  [1913 Webster]

  "Commanders, who, cloaking their fear under show of sage advice, counseled the general to retreat."  [1913 Webster]
•  Grave; serious; solemn.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Wise; sagacious; sapient; grave; prudent; judicious.

sage, n. 

 A wise man; a man of gravity and wisdom; especially, a man venerable for years, and of sound judgment and prudence; a grave philosopher.  [1913 Webster]
"At his birth a star,
Unseen before in heaven, proclaims him come,
And guides the Eastern sages."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

sage, n.
1 an aromatic herb, Salvia officinalis, with dull greyish-green leaves.
2 its leaves used in cookery.

Idiom

sage and onion (or onions) a stuffing used with poultry, pork, etc. sage Derby (or cheese) a cheese made with an infusion of sage which flavours and mottles it. sage-green the colour of sage-leaves. sage tea a medicinal infusion of sage-leaves.

Derivative

sagy adj.

sage, n. & adj.
--n.
1 often iron. a profoundly wise man.
2 any of the ancients traditionally regarded as the wisest of their time.
--adj.
1 profoundly wise, esp. from experience.
2 of or indicating profound wisdom.
3 often iron. wise-looking; solemn-faced.

Derivative

sagely adv. sageness n. sageship n.

Etymology

ME f. OF ult. f. L sapere be wise

THESAURUS

sage

Nestor, Solomon, ace, acute, authority, broad-minded, crackerjack, deep, discerning, doctor, doyen, doyenne, elder, elder statesman, expert, first-rater, genius, gnostic, good hand, great, great soul, guru, illuminate, insightful, intellect, intellectual, intelligent, judicious, knowing, knowledgeable, learned, logical, lover of wisdom, magician, mahatma, man of genius, man of intellect, man of wisdom, mandarin, master, master hand, mastermind, mentor, oracle, past master, penetrating, perceptive, perspicacious, philosopher, philosophic, practiced hand, probing, prodigy, profound, prudent, pundit, rabbi, reasonable, rishi, sagacious, sane, sapient, savant, scholar, seer, sensible, skilled hand, sophic, star, starets, superstar, thinker, topnotcher, virtuoso, whiz, wise, wise as Solomon, wise man, wise old man, wizard

ROGET THESAURUS

sage

Condiment

N condiment, seasoning, sauce, spice, relish, appetizer, salt, mustard, grey poupon mustard, pepper, black pepper, white pepper, peppercorn, curry, sauce piquante, caviare, onion, garlic, pickle, achar, allspice, bell pepper, Jamaica pepper, green pepper, chutney, cubeb, pimento, capsicum, red pepper, chili peppers, cayenne, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, oregano, cloves, fennel, pot herbs, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, marjoram, frankincense, balm, myrrh, paprika, saffron, ginger, turmeric.

Scholar

N scholar, connoisseur, savant, pundit, schoolman, professor, graduate, wrangler, academician, academist, master of arts, doctor, licentitate, gownsman, philosopher, master of math, scientist, clerk, sophist, sophister, linguist, glossolinguist, philologist, philologer, lexicographer, glossographer, grammarian, litterateur, literati, dilettanti, illuminati, cogniscenti, fellow, Hebraist, lexicologist, mullah, munshi, Sanskritish, sinologist, sinologue, Mezzofanti, admirable Crichton, Mecaenas, bookworm, helluo librorum, bibliophile, bibliomaniac, bluestocking, bas-bleu, bigwig, learned Theban, don, Artium Baccalaureus, Artium Magister, learned man, literary man, homo multarum literarum, man of learning, man of letters, man of education, man of genius, antiquarian, antiquary, archaeologist, sage, pedant, doctrinaire, pedagogue, Dr, Pangloss, pantologist, criminologist, schoolboy, learned, brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, he was a scholar and a ripe and good one, the manifold linguist.

Wisdom

N intelligence, wisdom, intelligence, capacity, comprehension, understanding, cuteness, sabe, savvy, intellect, nous, parts, sagacity, mother wit, wit, esprit, gumption, quick parts, grasp of intellect, acuteness, acumen, subtlety, penetration, perspicacy, perspicacity, discernment, due sense of, good judgment, discrimination, cunning, refinement, head, brains, headpiece, upper story, long head, eagle eye, eagle- glance, eye of a lynx, eye of a hawk, wisdom, sapience, sense, good sense, common sense, horse sense, plain sense, rationality, reason, reasonableness, judgment, solidity, depth, profundity, caliber, enlarged views, reach of thought, compass of thought, enlargement of mind, genius, inspiration, geist, fire of genius, heaven-born genius, soul, talent, prudence, vigilance, tact, foresight, sobriety, self-possession, aplomb, ballast, a bright thought, not a bad idea, Solomon-like wisdom, intelligent, quick of apprehension, keen, acute, alive, brainy, awake, bright, quick, sharp, quick witted, keen witted, clear witted, sharp-eyed, sharp sighted, sharp witted, wide- awake, canny, shrewd, astute, clear-headed, farsighted, discerning, perspicacious, penetrating, piercing, argute, quick-witted, nimble-witted, needle-witted, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, alive to, clever, arch, pas si bete, acute, wise, sage, sapient, sagacious, reasonable, rational, sound, in one's right mind, sensible, abnormis sapiens, judicious, strong- minded, unprejudiced, unbiased, unbigoted, unprepossessed, undazzled, unperplexed, unwarped judgment, impartial, equitable, fair, cool, cool-headed, long-headed, hardheaded, strong-headed, long- sighted, calculating, thoughtful, reflecting, solid, deep, profound, oracular, heaven-directed, heaven-born, prudent, sober, stand, solid, considerate, politic, wise in one's generation, watchful, provident, in advance of one' age, wise as a serpent, wise as Solomon, wise as Solon, wise, sensible, reasonable, judicious, well- thought-out, well-planned, well-judged, well-advised, prudent, politic, expedient, aut regem aut fatuum nasci oportet, but with the morning cool reflection came, flosculi sententiarum, les affaires font les hommes, mas vale saber que haber, mas vale ser necio que profiadol nemo solus sapit, nosce te, gnothi seauton, nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit, sapere aude, victrix fortunae sapientia.

Sage

N sage, wise man, genius, master mind, master spirit of the age, longhead, thinker, intellectual, longhair, authority, oracle, luminary, shining light, esprit fort, magnus Apollo, Solon, Solomon, Nestor, Magi, second Daniel, man of learning, expert, wizard, wiseacre, bigwig, know-it-all, poor man's Einstein, venerable, reverenced, emeritus, barba tenus sapientes.