preserve
//pɹəˈzɜːv//
Forms
- Plural
- preserves
- present (v1)
- preserve
- past (v2)
- preserved
- past participle (v3)
- preserved
- present participle
- preserving
- 3rd person singular
- preserves
Definitions
1.A sweet spread made of any of a variety of fruits.
2.An exclusive area of activity.
- Kids regard their tree houses as their own preserve.
- No one can argue with that, neither the Army Commander nor Zhilinsky nor even the Grand Duke. That is the Emperor’s preserve. The Emperor says France must be saved. We can only do his bidding.
- The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them, which is then licensed to related businesses in high-tax countries, is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies.
3.A reservation, a nature preserve.
1.To protect; to keep from harm or injury.
- Let's pray that we'd be preserved from danger.
- Every people has the right to preserve its identity and culture.
2.To save from decay by the use of some preservative substance, such as sugar or salt; to season and prepare (fruits, meat, etc.) for storage.
3.To maintain throughout; to keep intact.
- I preserved a composed manner throughout the interrogation.
- Better men than you, men who could believe and obey, twisted the entrails of iron and preserved the legend of fire.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #2556
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Word family
Etymology
From Middle English preserven, from Old French preserver, from Medieval Latin prēservāre (“keep, preserve”), from Late Latin praeservāre (“guard beforehand”), from prae (“before”, adverb) + servāre (“maintain, keep”).
Displaced native Old English nerian.