safen

English

Etymology

safe +‎ -en

Verb

safen (third-person singular simple present safens, present participle safening, simple past and past participle safened)

1. (transitive) To make safe.
   • 2002, Malachy Doyle, Georgie, page 12:

     She used to safen me when I was smaller, when I came here first. Her long, dark hair was my hiding place from the outside world.

   • 2016, Kathryn Stockett, The Help, page 189:

     I take a deep breath because his knowing Cora Blue seems to safen things up a little.

2. (transitive) To protect a crop from injury from a herbicide by adding a safener.

Derived terms

• safener

Further reading

• “safen”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Anagrams

• Fanes, NEFAs, fanes