sage

a. [ Compar. Sager superl. Sagest. ] [ F., fr. L. sapius (only in nesapius unwise, foolish), fr. sapere to be wise; perhaps akin to E. sap. Cf. Savor, Sapient, Insipid. ] 1. Having nice discernment and powers of judging; prudent; grave; sagacious. [ 1913 Webster ]

All you sage counselors, hence! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. 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. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Grave; serious; solemn. [ R. ] “[ Great bards ] in sage and solemn tunes have sung.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Wise; sagacious; sapient; grave; prudent; judicious. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. sauge, F. sauge, L. salvia, from salvus saved, in allusion to its reputed healing virtues. See Safe. ] (Bot.) (a) 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. (b) The sagebrush. [ 1913 Webster ]

Meadow sage (Bot.), a blue-flowered species of Salvia (Salvia 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 (Zool.), 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 (Zool.), 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 (Zool.), 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 (Zool.), the female of the sage grouse. --
Sage sparrow (Zool.), a small sparrow (Amphispiza Belli, var. Nevadensis) which inhabits the dry plains of the Rocky Mountain region, living among sagebrush. --
Sage thrasher (Zool.), 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A low irregular shrub (Artemisia tridentata), of the order Compositae, covering vast tracts of the dry alkaline regions of the American plains; -- called also sagebush, and wild sage. [ 1913 Webster ]

. Nevada; -- a nickname. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

adv. In a sage manner; wisely. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Russ. sajene. ] A Russian measure of length equal to about seven English feet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being sage; wisdom; sagacity; prudence; gravity. Ascham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. sagénite, fr. L. sagena a large net. See Seine. ] (Min.) Acicular rutile occurring in reticulated forms imbedded in quartz. [ 1913 Webster ]