English Reference
noun · adjective · verb

sage

n. · adj. · v.
US /ˈseɪdʒ/ UK /sˈeɪdʒ/ sage UK spelling sages, saging

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate Cooking

    n.a plant with grey-green leaves used as a spice in cooking, especially with meat.

    n.the aromatic plant Salvia officinalis, or its dried leaves used as a culinary herb. Uncountable when referring to the spice.

    Simple

    The chef added fresh sage to the butter sauce for the pasta.

    In context

    The stuffing was seasoned heavily with sage and onion, providing a savory contrast to the richness of the roasted poultry.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Literary

    n.a person who is very wise and respected for their experience.

    n.a person of profound wisdom, especially one who is venerable and possesses sound judgment.

    Simple

    People traveled from far away to seek advice from the old sage.

    In context

    The village elders were regarded as sages, their counsel sought on matters ranging from land disputes to spiritual guidance.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Formal

    adj.showing great wisdom and good judgment.

    adj.possessing or exhibiting profound wisdom and discernment. Often used to describe advice or decisions.

    Simple

    He gave me some sage advice about how to save money for the future.

    In context

    The CEO followed the sage counsel of her predecessors, avoiding a risky merger that could have destabilized the firm.

    wisejudiciousprudent
  4. 04 C2 Proficiency Slang Computing

    v.to post a reply on an internet board without moving the thread to the top.

    v.to enter the word 'sage' into the email field of an imageboard to prevent the thread from being 'bumped' to the top of the index.

    Simple

    I decided to sage the thread because the discussion was getting repetitive.

    In context

    Users often sage a post when they wish to contribute to a discussion without artificially extending its visibility on the board's front page.

They portray it as a forbidding mountain realm of sages and gods, not as a pilgrimage destination for humans.

The Conversation· 31 Aug 2026

Onions, garlic, tomatoes and other vegetables, and herbs such as thyme and sage add flavor.

Smithsonian Magazine· 12 Jun 2026

* As an English and French surname, from sage, a nickname for a wise person. The given name, in general use since the 1990s, is also associated with the sage plant. Compare Desage, Lesage. * As an Irish surname, variant of Savage. * As a German surname, from a placename derived from the noun sege (“sedge”) (see sedge).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin German -
Level C2 · Proficiency
Frequency Frequent
Updated