adj., saf·er, saf·est.
- Secure from danger, harm, or evil.
- Free from danger or injury; unhurt: safe and sound.
- Free from risk; sure: a safe bet.
- Affording protection: a safe place.
- Baseball. Having reached a base without being put out, as a batter or base runner.
- A metal container usually having a lock, used for storing valuables.
- A repository for protecting stored items, especially a cooled compartment for perishable foods: a cheese safe.
- Slang. A condom.
[Middle English sauf, from Old French, from Latin salvus, healthy.]
safely safe'ly adv.safeness safe'ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
