conserve

American  

[kuhn-surv, kon-surv, kuhn-surv] / kənˈsɜrv, ˈkɒn sɜrv, kənˈsɜrv /

verb (used with object)

conserved, conserving

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.

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noun

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

conserve British  

verb

1. to keep or protect from harm, decay, loss, etc

2. to preserve (a foodstuff, esp fruit) with sugar

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noun

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

Other Word Forms

• conservable adjective
• conserver noun
• nonconserving adjective
• self-conserving adjective
• unconserved adjective
• unconserving adjective
• well-conserved adjective

Etymology

Origin of conserve

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

Related Words

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