safe

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See also: Safe and -safe

English

Etymology

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From Middle English sauf, safe, saf, saaf, from Old French sauf, saulf, salf (“safe”), from Latin salvus (“whole, safe”), from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“whole, every”).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: sāf, IPA(key): /seɪf/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪf
  • Hyphenation: safe

Adjective

safe (comparative safer or more safe, superlative safest or most safe)

  1. Not in danger; out of harm's reach.
    You’ll be safe here.
  2. Free from risk; harmless, riskless.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess‎[1]:
      When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him.
    It’s safe to eat this.
  3. Providing protection from danger; providing shelter.
    We have to find a safe spot, where we can hide out until this is over.
  4. (baseball) When a batter successfully reaches first base, or when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base or returns to the base he last occupied; not out.
    The pitcher attempted to pick off the runner at first, but he was safe.
  5. Properly secured; secure.
    The documents are safe.
  6. (used after a noun, often forming a compound) Not susceptible to a specified source of harm.
    dishwasher safe;  dishwasher-safe
  7. (UK, slang) Great, cool, awesome, respectable; a term of approbation.
    • 1996 August 12, "Mandrake", “Re: Multiple Messages - an apology”, in uk.people.gothic‎[2] (Usenet):
      and you also forgot to mentioned[sic] the wheels man you know bmw playing¶ ragga jungle hip hop tunes¶ and on the mobile¶ yeah safe!¶ nice one¶ later
    • 1996 or 1997, Roy Williams, Plays 1: The No Boys Cricket Club / Startstruck / Lift Off‎[3], Methuen, published 2002, →ISBN, page 165:
      Young Mal: Yu can’t. Irie means yer cool, yer safe, everything awright.
    • 2000, Teddy Hayes, Dead by Popular Demand‎[4], Justin, Charles & Co., published 2005, →ISBN, Chapter 14, page 134:
      “If you need more, just ring, yeah?” Punch said.¶ “Safe,” Brian answered.
    • 2002, Danny Braverman, Playing a Part: Drama and Citizenship‎[5], Trentham Books, →ISBN Invalid ISBN, One Thursday — a short play, page 62:
      They end the call. Fami goes over to Paul. They touch hands.¶ Femi: Yeah, safe man.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Steve Carter, Love, Sex and Tesco's Finest Cava, page 169:
      “Yeah, safe mate, wassup?” says one hoodie, who should at least be credited with attempting a more detailed sentence construction.
  8. (slang) Lenient, usually describing a teacher that is easy-going.
  9. Reliable; trusty.
  10. Cautious.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

The terms below need to be checked and allocated to the definitions (senses) of the headword above. Each term should appear in the sense for which it is appropriate. For synonyms and antonyms you may use the templates {{syn|en|...}} or {{ant|en|...}}.
  • unsafe
  • (providing protection from danger; providing shelter): dangerous
  • (providing protection from danger; providing shelter): harmful
  • insecure
  • (lenient): strict, harsh, intolerant

Hyponyms

Translations

slang: wicked - cool - awesome
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Noun

safe (plural safes)

  1. A box, usually made of metal, in which valuables can be locked for safekeeping.
  2. (slang) A condom.
    • 1999, Rita Ciresi, Pink Slip, Delta (1999), →ISBN, page 328:
      She'd better have an arsenal of Trojans in her purse just in case he wasn't carrying a safe in his back pocket.
  3. (dated) A ventilated or refrigerated chest or closet for securing provisions from noxious animals or insects.
  4. (dated, colloquial) A safety bicycle.

Synonyms

Hyponyms

Translations

Verb

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  1. (transitive) To make something safe.
    • 2007, Rocky Raab, Mike Five Eight: Air War Over Cambodia: Air War Over Cambodia
      “It just trails behind the pylon until I land, then Cramer removes it when he safes the rocket pods. No evidence of anything when I taxi back inside the compound.”
    • 2012, Erik Seedhouse, Interplanetary Outpost:
      One of the most important events after touchdown will be to safe the Dauntless, which will include purging the engines and shutting down the landing systems […]

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

References

Further reading

Anagrams

Hausa

Adverb

sāfe

  1. in the morning

Middle English

Adjective

safe

  1. Alternative form of sauf

Preposition

safe

  1. Alternative form of sauf

Conjunction

safe

  1. Alternative form of sauf

Portuguese

Verb

safe

  1. Template:pt-verb-form-of
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