savvy

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(săv'ē) pronunciation Informal.
adj., -vi·er, -vi·est.
Well informed and perceptive; shrewd: savvy Washington insiders.

n.
Practical understanding or shrewdness: a banker known for financial savvy.

tr. & intr.v., sav·vied (săv'ēd), sav·vy·ing, sav·vies (săv'ēz).
To understand; comprehend.

[From Spanish sabe (usted), (you) know, from saber, to know, from Old Spanish, from Vulgar Latin *sapēre, from Latin sapere, to be wise.]

savvily sav'vi·ly adv.

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adjective

    Having or showing a clever awareness and resourcefulness in practical matters: astute, cagey, canny, knowing, perspicacious, shrewd, slick, smart, wise1. See ability/inability, careful/careless.

noun

    Intellectual hold: apprehension, comprehension, grasp, grip, hold, understanding. See knowledge/ignorance.

verb

    To perceive and recognize the meaning of: accept, apprehend, catch (on), compass, comprehend, conceive, fathom, follow, get, grasp, make out, read, see, sense, take, take in, understand. Slang dig. Chiefly British twig. Scots ken. Idioms: gethavea handle on, get the picture. See understand/misunderstand.


adj

Definition: shrewd
Antonyms: gullible, stupid

n

Definition: shrewdness
Antonyms: ignorance, inexperience

verb
Also savee, savey Also savee, savey
verb

1:
trans. and intr. To know or understand: in a question (e.g. 'Do you savvy?'), following an explanation esp. to a foreigner or someone thought slow-witted. (1785 —) .
M. Lowry Let's have two starboard lights. Savee starboard lights? (1933). noun

2:
Intelligence, understanding, 'gumption'. (1785 —) .
W. R. Titterton Which idea...Armstrong actively disliked because, having more savvy than I had, he saw it meant death to his doctrine (1936). adjective

3:
Of a person, etc.: knowing, quick-witted; wise (to something). (1905 —) .

[From Black or pidgin English, after Spanish sabe usted 'you know'.]


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Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'savvy'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to savvy, see:

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - omløb i hovedet, (sl) pære
v. tr. - forstå, begribe
v. intr. - have omløb i hovedet
adj. - smart, kvik, klog

Nederlands (Dutch)
gezond verstand, gewiekstheid, snugger, gewiekst, snappen

Français (French)
n. - jugeote, bon sens
v. tr. - comprendre, piger
v. intr. - comprendre, piger
adj. - (US) calé

Deutsch (German)
v. - (ugs.) kapieren
n. - Durchblick
adj. - raffiniert

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - (αργκό) γνωρίζω, καταλαβαίνω
n. - (καθομ.) νιονιό, γνώση
adj. - μπασμένος

Italiano (Italian)
capire, buon senso, sensato

Português (Portuguese)
v. - compreender
n. - compreender (m)

Русский (Russian)
смекалка, здравый смысл, соображать, понимать

Español (Spanish)
n. - sentido común, comprensivo, sabio, inteligencia, desparpajo
v. tr. - comprender, captar, saber
v. intr. - comprender, captar
adj. - comprensivo

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - haja, fatta, veta
n. - vett, förstånd, huvud
adj. - klipsk, smart, slug, välunderrättad

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
理解能力, 悟性, 机智, 懂, 知晓, 聪慧的

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 理解能力, 悟性, 機智
v. tr. - 懂, 知曉
v. intr. - 懂
adj. - 聰慧的

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 상식, 이해력, 임기응변
v. tr. - 알다, 이해하다
v. intr. - 알다, 이해하다
adj. - 잘 아는, 정통한, 경험 있고 박식한

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 知る
n. - その道の知識, 常識
adj. - 知恵のある

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يعرف, يفهم (الاسم) ذكاء (صفه) فاهم, ذكي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮הבנה, תבונה, חריפות‬
v. tr. - ‮הבין, ידע‬
v. intr. - ‮הבין, ידע‬
adj. - ‮יודע, חכם‬


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Mentioned in

Don't Censor Me (1993 Album by Audio Adrenaline)
Home Savvy (1997 TV Series)