reservoir

American  

[rez-er-vwahr, -vwawr, -vawr, rez-uh-] / ˈrɛz ərˌvwɑr, -ˌvwɔr, -ˌvɔr, ˈrɛz ə- /

noun

1. a natural or artificial place where water is collected and stored for use, especially water for supplying a community, irrigating land, furnishing power, etc.

2. a receptacle or chamber for holding a liquid or fluid.

3. Geology. pool16

4. Biology. a cavity or part that holds some fluid or secretion.

5. a place where anything is collected or accumulated in great amount.

   Synonyms:

   stockpile, fund, pool, store, hoard

6. a large or extra supply or stock; reserve.

   a reservoir of knowledge.

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reservoir British  

/ ˈrɛzəˌvwɑː /

noun

1. a natural or artificial lake or large tank used for collecting and storing water, esp for community water supplies or irrigation

2. a receptacle for storing gas, esp one attached to a stove

3. biology a vacuole or cavity in an organism, containing a secretion or some other fluid

4. anatomy another name for cisterna

5. a place where a great stock of anything is accumulated

6. a large supply of something; reserve

   a reservoir of talent

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reservoir Scientific  

/ rĕz′ər-vwär′ /

1. A natural or artificial pond or lake used for the storage of water.

2. An underground mass of rock or sediment that is porous and permeable enough to allow oil or natural gas to accumulate in it.

3. An organism that is the host for a parasitic pathogen or that directly or indirectly transmits a pathogen to which it is immune.

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Etymology

Origin of reservoir

1680–90; < French réservoir, equivalent to réserv ( er ) to reserve + -oir -ory ²

Example Sentences

Cities and farms should still have have ample water because major reservoirs in Northern California are nearly full.

From Los Angeles Times

Seama says, "Due to its extent and location it is clear that this is in fact the same magma reservoir as in the previous eruption."

From Science Daily

These lysosomes act as slow release reservoirs -- holding onto the drug and releasing it gradually -- which increases exposure in certain cells while leaving others with much lower levels.

From Science Daily

Samples were collected near the Santa Maria da Serra dam, close to the Barra Bonita reservoir, where contaminants from across the river basin tend to gather.

From Science Daily

A record-breaking heat wave is scalding California, with major consequences for the state’s most important reservoir: its snowpack.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• basin
• cistern
• container
• lake
• pond
• pool
• reserve
• source
• stockpile
• storage
• supply
• tank