sake

¹sake

noun \ˈsāk\

Definition of SAKE

1

: end, purpose <for the sake of argument>

2

a : the good, advantage, or enhancement of some entity (as an ideal) <free to pursue learning for its own sake — M. S. Eisenhower>

b : personal or social welfare, safety, or benefit

Origin of SAKE

Middle English, dispute, guilt, purpose, from Old English sacu guilt, action at law; akin to Old High German sahha action at law, cause, Old English sēcan to seek — more at seek

First Known Use: 13th century

Rhymes with SAKE

ache, bake, brake, break, cake, crake, drake, Drake, fake, flake, hake, jake, lake, make, quake, rake, shake, slake, snake, stake, steak, strake, take, wake

²sa·ke

noun \ˈsä-kē\

Definition of SAKE

: a Japanese alcoholic beverage of fermented rice often served hot

Variants of SAKE

sa·ke or sa·ki \ˈsä-kē\

Origin of SAKE

Japanese sake

First Known Use: 1682

Other Alcoholic Beverage Terms

finish, gimlet, mull, setup, sommelier, syllabub, vintner, wassail

Rhymes with SAKE

blocky, cocky, hockey, jockey, pocky, rocky, stocky, Yaqui

sake

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice. It dates to at least the 3rd century AD. Sake is light in colour and noncarbonated, with a sweet flavour; its alcohol content is about 18% by volume. Often mistakenly called a wine, sake is closer in its method of manufacture to beer. Steamed rice is combined with a mold that converts the rice starch to fermentable sugars; the mix is kneaded into a paste, twice fermented (with fresh rice and water added), filtered, and bottled. In Japan, where it is the national beverage and the traditional drink of the Shinto gods, sake is warmed in a small earthenware or porcelain vessel before being blessed and served in small porcelain cups.