SAKE

sake, interest

(noun) a reason for wanting something done; “for your sake”; “died for the sake of his country”; “in the interest of safety”; “in the common interest”

sake

(noun) the purpose of achieving or obtaining; “for the sake of argument”

sake, saki, rice beer

(noun) Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice; usually served hot

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology 1

Noun

sake (plural sakes)

cause, interest or account

purpose or end; reason

the benefit or regard of someone or something

(obsolete except in phrases) contention, strife; guilt, sin, accusation or charge

Usage notes

• The word sake is generally used in constructions of the form "for X's sake" or "for the sake of X", where X is a noun (see the quotations above, for sake of, and for the sake of).

• Garner's Modern American Usage notes it is common to write an apostrophe rather than apostrophe–ess in this construction when the noun ends in an /s/ or /z/ sound: for appearance' sake, for goodness' sake.

Etymology 2

Noun

sake (countable and uncountable, plural sakes)

A class of Japanese rice wines made from polished rice and typically about 20% alcohol by volume.

(inexact) synonym of rice wine.

Anagrams

• Kase, akes, aske, keas, kesa, seak

Source: Wiktionary

Sake, n. Etym: [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. sakj strife, AS. sacan to contend, strive, Goth. sakan, 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.]

Definition: Final cause; end; purpose of obtaining; cause; motive; reason; interest; concern; account; regard or respect; -- used chiefly in such phrases as, for the sake, 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. Moved with wrath and shame and ladies; sake. Spenser. I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake. Gen. viii. 21. Will he draw out, For anger's sake, finite to infinite Milton. Knowledge is for the sake of man, and not man for the sake of knowledge. Sir W. Hamilton.

Note: 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition