sake
sake Lexical Profile
sake Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A purpose, end, or motive for achieving something (typically used in the phrase "for the sake of").
"They decided to simplify the rules for the sake of clarity and fairness."
Personal welfare, benefit, advantage, or interest (used with a possessive, as in "for someone's sake").
"She moved to a quieter neighborhood for her children's sake."
A traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice, water, yeast, and koji mold, served either chilled, at room temperature, or warmed.
"The sommelier recommended a dry, chilled sake to pair with the sashimi course."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Sake" consists of two unrelated homographs with different pronunciations: the native English word meaning purpose or benefit (/seɪk/, almost exclusively used in prepositional phrases like "for the sake of"), and the Japanese alcoholic beverage (/ˈsɑːki/ or /ˈsɑːkeɪ/).
• Rhymes for sake
Word Origin & Etymology
The sense meaning "purpose" or "benefit" derives from Old English sacu, meaning "cause at law, dispute, or guilt," from Proto-Germanic *sako. The beverage sense was borrowed in the late 17th century directly from Japanese sake, a general term for alcoholic drinks.