sage /se I dʒ/ (sages )
1 N‑COUNT A sage is a person who is regarded as being very wise. [LITERARY ] □ …ancient Chinese sages.
2 ADJ Sage means wise and knowledgeable, especially as the result of a lot of experience. [LITERARY ] □ He was famous for his sage advice to younger painters. ● sage|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Susan nodded sagely as if what I had said was profoundly significant.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Sage is a herb used in cooking.
4 N‑VAR Sage is a plant with grey-green leaves and purple, blue, or white flowers.
sag|gy /sæ gi/ (saggier , saggiest ) ADJ If you describe something as saggy , you mean that it has become less firm over a period of time and become unattractive. □ Is the mattress lumpy and saggy?
Sag|it|ta|rius /sædʒ I teə riəs/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Sagittarius is one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Its symbol is a creature that is half horse, half man, shooting an arrow. People who are born approximately between the 22nd of November and the 21st of December come under this sign.
2 N‑SING A Sagittarius is a person whose sign of the zodiac is Sagittarius.
sago /se I goʊ/ N‑UNCOUNT Sago is a white substance obtained from the trunk of some palm trees. Sago is used for making sweet puddings.
sa|hib /sɑː b, sɑː h I b/ (sahibs ) N‑TITLE ; N‑COUNT Sahib is a term used by some people in India to address or to refer to a man in a position of authority. Sahib was used especially of white government officials in the period of British rule. [POLITENESS ]
said /se d/ Said is the past tense and past participle of say .
sail ◆◇◇ /se I l/ (sails , sailing , sailed )
1 N‑COUNT Sails are large pieces of material attached to the mast of a ship. The wind blows against the sails and pushes the ship along. □ The white sails billow with the breezes they catch.
2 VERB You say a ship sails when it moves over the sea. □ [V prep/adv] The trawler had sailed from the port of Zeebrugge.
3 VERB If you sail a boat or if a boat sails , it moves across water using its sails. □ [V n prep] I shall get myself a little boat and sail her around the world. □ [V adv/prep] For nearly two hundred miles she sailed on, her sails hard with ice.
4 VERB If a person or thing sails somewhere, they move there smoothly and fairly quickly. □ [V prep/adv] We got into the lift and sailed to the top floor.
5 → see also sailing
6 PHRASE When a ship sets sail , it leaves a port. □ [+ for ] Christopher Columbus set sail for the New World in the Santa Maria.
7 to sail close to the wind → see wind ➊
▸ sail through PHRASAL VERB If someone or something sails through a difficult situation or experience, they deal with it easily and successfully. □ [V P n] While she sailed through her maths exams, he struggled. [Also V P ]
sail|boat /se I lboʊt/ (sailboats ) N‑COUNT A sailboat is the same as a sailing boat . [mainly AM ]
sail|cloth /se I lklɒθ, [AM ] -klɔːθ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Sailcloth is a strong heavy cloth that is used for making things such as sails or tents. □ The mainsails are hand-cut and sewn from real sailcloth.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Sailcloth is a light canvas material that is used for making clothes. □ …red sailcloth trousers.
sail|ing /se I l I ŋ/ (sailings )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Sailing is the activity or sport of sailing boats. □ There was swimming and sailing down on the lake.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Sailings are trips made by a ship carrying passengers. □ Ferry companies are providing extra sailings from Calais.
3 PHRASE If you say that a task was not all plain sailing , you mean that it was not very easy. □ Pregnancy wasn't all plain sailing and once again there were problems.
sai l|ing boat (sailing boats ) also sailing-boat N‑COUNT A sailing boat is a boat with sails. [BRIT ] in AM, use sailboat
sai l|ing ship (sailing ships ) N‑COUNT A sailing ship is a large ship with sails, especially of the kind that was used to carry passengers or cargo. □ American clippers were the ultimate sailing ships.
sail|or /se I lə r / (sailors ) N‑COUNT A sailor is someone who works on a ship or sails a boat.
saint ◆◇◇ /se I nt/ (saints ) The title is usually pronounced /sənt/. 1 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A saint is someone who has died and been officially recognized and honoured by the Christian church because his or her life was a perfect example of the way Christians should live. □ Every parish was named after a saint. □ …Saint John.
2 N‑COUNT If you refer to a living person as a saint , you mean that they are extremely kind, patient, and unselfish. [APPROVAL ] □ My girlfriend is a saint to put up with me.
saint|hood /se I nthʊd/ N‑UNCOUNT Sainthood is the state of being a saint. □ His elevation to sainthood is entirely justified.
saint|ly /se I ntli/ ADJ A saintly person behaves in a very good or very holy way. [APPROVAL ] □ She has been saintly in her self-restraint.
sake ◆◇◇ /se I k/ (sakes )
1 PHRASE If you do something for the sake of something, you do it for that purpose or in order to achieve that result. You can also say that you do it for something's sake . □ For the sake of historical accuracy, please permit us to state the true facts. □ For safety's sake, never stand directly behind a horse.