conserve

[ verb kuhn-surv; noun kon-surv, kuhn-surv ]

verb (used with object)

, con·served, con·serv·ing.

1. to prevent injury, decay, waste, or loss of:

   Conserve your strength for the race.

2. to use or manage (natural resources) wisely; preserve; save:

   Conserve the woodlands.

   Synonyms: safeguard, husband

3. Physics, Chemistry. to hold (a property) constant during an interaction or process:

   the interaction conserved linear momentum.

4. to preserve (fruit) by cooking with sugar or syrup.

noun

1. Often conserves. a mixture of several fruits cooked to jamlike consistency with sugar and often garnished with nuts and raisins.

conserve

verb

1. to keep or protect from harm, decay, loss, etc
2. to preserve (a foodstuff, esp fruit) with sugar

noun

1. a preparation of fruit in sugar, similar to jam but usually containing whole pieces of fruit

Derived Forms

• conˈserver, noun
• conˈservable, adjective

Other Words From

• con·server noun
• noncon·serving adjective noun
• self-con·serving adjective
• uncon·served adjective
• uncon·serving adjective
• well-con·served adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conserve¹

First recorded in 1325–75; (for the verb) Middle English, from Latin conservāre “to save, preserve”; equivalent to con- + serve; (for the noun) Middle English, from Middle French conserve, noun derivative of conserver, from Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of conserve¹

(vb) C14: from Latin conservāre to keep safe, from servāre to save, protect; (n) C14: from Medieval Latin conserva, from Latin conservāre

Example Sentences

"I was excited that we could connect the structure of the nucleolus with the repair process in a way that could be conserved from yeast to humans," said Dr. Gutierrez.

From Science Daily

Town manager Darlene Butler has asked residents to conserve water as she works with county officials and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to erect a temporary treatment facility.

From Salon

In an effort to conserve their energy and survive, the liver cells shut down production of the majority of their proteins, shifting instead to producing a few special survival proteins to keep the cell alive.

From Science Daily

Investors might put their money into funds that consider a company's efforts to improve air quality and conserve energy, or its equal employment opportunities and ethical business practices.

From Salon

As a result, C4 plants eliminate those oxygen-use mistakes to conserve energy and keep plant surface pores closed more often to conserve water.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• hoard
• maintain
• preserve
• safeguard
• sustain
• take care of