conservatory

[ kuh n-sur-vuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]

/ kənˈsɜr vəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conservatory ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural con·serv·a·to·ries.

a school giving instruction in one or more of the fine or dramatic arts; specifically, a school of music.

a greenhouse, usually attached to a dwelling, for growing and displaying plants.

Archaic. a place where things are preserved.

adjective

serving or adapted to conserve; preservative.

RELATED WORDS

nursery, glasshouse

Nearby words

Origin of conservatory

1555–65; < Latin conservā(re) (see conserve) + -tory²; in the sense “music school” < French or Italian; see conservatoire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for conservatory

They meet generally in the Kiev Conservatory, an imposing 1890s-era building overlooking Independence Square.
Inside The EuroMaidan’s Circle Of Trust|Jamie Dettmer|March 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He used his savings for the voyage across the Atlantic, but was left with no tuition money to attend the conservatory.
The Black Count of Russia|Noah Charney|March 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Or the latest suspects: Martha Raddatz and Candy Crowley in the conservatory with the lead pipe.
Republicans Allowed Karl Rove to Mislead Them Again|Matt Latimer|November 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, he earned a degree in fine arts from the renowned Boston Conservatory of Music.
Broadway's New Queen|Itay Hod|March 17, 2011|DAILY BEAST

By night, sit inside the main dining room; by day, try the conservatory up front.
How to Get the VIP Treatment in Moscow|Jolie Hunt|February 27, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The door of the dining-room is faced with looking-glass, so that it may reflect the contents of the conservatory.
A Week's Tramp in Dickens-Land|William R. Hughes
Lester in revising the property after purchase had had a conservatory built on one side not unlike the one at home in Cincinnati.
Jennie Gerhardt|Theodore Dreiser
When he presented himself for examination at the conservatory, he was made to play on the piano, and his compositions examined.
Great Italian and French Composers|George T. Ferris
Her name was Rachel, and she took me to see the conservatory, and I wondered what on earth we should find to say.
The Heart of Una Sackville|Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
The woods, and indeed all out-doors at Ceylon, seemed like a conservatory of exotic birds and flowers.
Due West|Maturin Murray Ballou

British Dictionary definitions for conservatory

conservatory

/ (kənˈsɜːvətrɪ) /

noun plural -tories

a greenhouse, esp one attached to a house

another word for conservatoire

adjective

preservative

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for conservatory

conservatory

1560s, "preservative;" 1660s, "greenhouse," from stem of conservation + -ory. In sense "school for performing arts" it is recorded from 1842, from Italian conservatorio or French conservatoire, originally "hospital for foundlings in which musical education was given."