n. [ OE. sake cause, also, lawsuit, fault, AS. sacu strife, a cause or suit at law; akin to D. zaak cause, thing, affair, G. sache thing, cause in law, OHG. sahha, Icel. sök, Sw. sak, Dan. sag, Goth. sakjō strife, AS. sacan to contend, strive, Goth. sakam, Icel. saka to contend, strive, blame, OHG. sahhan, MHG. sachen, to contend, strive, defend one's right, accuse, charge in a lawsuit, and also to E. seek. Cf. Seek. ] Final cause; end; purpose of obtaining; cause; motive; reason; interest; concern; account; regard or respect; -- used chiefly in such phrases as, for the sake of, for his sake, for man's sake, for mercy's sake, and the like; as, to commit crime for the sake of gain; to go abroad for the sake of one's health. [ 1913 Webster ]

Moved with wrath and shame and ladies' sake. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake. Gen. viii. 21. [ 1913 Webster ]

Will he draw out,
For anger's sake, finite to infinite? Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Knowledge is for the sake of man, and not man for the sake of knowledge. Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The -s of the possessive case preceding sake is sometimes omitted for euphony; as, for goodness sake. “For conscience sake.” 1 Cor. x. 28. The plural sakes is often used with a possessive plural. “For both our sakes.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a traditional alcoholic drink of Japan. It is made from rice. [ Also spelled saki. ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. [ F. sacre (cf. It. sagro, Sp. & Pg. sacre), either fr. L. sacer sacred, holy, as a translation of Gr. "ie`rax falcon, from "iero`s holy, or more probably from Ar. çaqr hawk. ] [ Written also sacar, sacre. ] 1. (Zool.) (a) A falcon (Falco sacer) native of Southern Europe and Asia, closely resembling the lanner. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The female is called chargh, and the male charghela, or sakeret. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) The peregrine falcon. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mil.) A small piece of artillery. Wilhelm. [ 1913 Webster ]

On the bastions were planted culverins and sakers. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

The culverins and sakers showing their deadly muzzles over the rampart. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. sacret. See Saker. ] (Zool.) The male of the saker (a). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. & Pg. saki; probably from the native name. ] (Zool.) Any one of several species of South American monkeys of the genus Pithecia. They have large ears, and a long hairy tail which is not prehensile. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The black saki (Pithecia satanas), the white-headed (Pithecia leucocephala), and the red-backed, or hand-drinking, saki (Pithecia chiropotes), are among the best-known. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The alcoholic drink of Japan. It is made from rice; it is usually spelled sake. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

{ } n. } [ Ar. sāqīah canal, trench. ] A kind of water wheel used in Egypt for raising water, from wells or pits, in buckets attached to its periphery or to an endless rope. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Skr. ] (Hind. Myth.) The divine energy, personified as the wife of a deity (Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, etc.); the female principle. [ 1913 Webster ]