[sav.age] adj [ME sauvage, fr. MF, fr. ML salvaticus, alter. of L silvaticus of the woods, wild, fr. silva wood, forest] (13c) 1 a: not domesticated or under human control: untamed "~ beasts" b: lacking the restraints normal to civilized human beings: fierce, ferocious
2: wild, uncultivated "seldom have I seen such ~ scenery --Douglas Carruthers" 3 a: boorish, rude "the ~ bad manners of most motorists --M. P. O'Connor" b: malicious
4: lacking complex or advanced culture: uncivilized syn see fierce -- sav.age.ly adv -- sav.age.ness n
[2]savage n (15c) 1: a person belonging to a primitive society
2: a brutal person
3: a rude or unmannerly person [3]savage vt sav.aged ; sav.ag.ing (1880): to attack or treat brutally