conserve

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

/ verb kənˈsɜrv; noun ˈkɒn sɜrv, kənˈsɜrv /

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verb (used with object), con·served, con·serv·ing.

to prevent injury, decay, waste, or loss of: Conserve your strength for the race.

to use or manage (natural resources) wisely; preserve; save: Conserve the woodlands.

Physics, Chemistry. to hold (a property) constant during an interaction or process: the interaction conserved linear momentum.

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

noun

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

Nearby words

Origin of conserve

1325–75; (v.) Middle English < Latin conservāre to save, preserve, equivalent to con- con- + servāre to watch over, guard (akin to servus slave, servīre to serve); (noun) Middle English < Middle French conserve, noun derivative of conserver < Latin, as above

SYNONYMS FOR conserve

2. husband, safeguard.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conserve ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

con·serv·er, nounnon·con·serv·ing, adjective, nounself-con·serv·ing, adjectiveun·con·served, adjective

un·con·serv·ing, adjectivewell-con·served, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for conserve

At Belmont, jockeys must not let their horse run too hard too early, and conserve some energy for the half-mile-long backstretch.
Why California Chrome’s Fairy Tale Didn’t End Happily Ever After|Michael Fensom|June 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I am seeking to conserve nothing; I am looking ahead—and I am quite confident that I am not alone.
America Is Coming to Terms with Its Racial Past—Let’s Look Ahead Instead|John McWhorter|May 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It sent its last picture 13 years ago, just before shutting down its camera to conserve power.
Voyager Is Sending Us the Sounds of Interstellar Space|Josh Dzieza|September 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Districts may also employ additional tactics to conserve resources.
The Real Juvenile Offenders|Daniela Drake|June 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Doing so lets them conserve cash and maintain flexibility in pricing.
Hurricane Sandy’s Economic Sucker Punch|Daniel Gross|November 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
To conserve his strength and wind he kept his pace to a dogtrot.
The Golden Skull|John Blaine
But there would be, and, if the pitcher did not conserve his energy, the pinches would usually go against him.
Pitching in a Pinch|Christy Mathewson
But all of us can conserve energy--every one of us, every day of our lives.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006|Various
We can conserve wheat and meat, sugar and fats, and be none the worse for it, but we must use milk.
Food Guide for War Service at Home|Katharine Blunt, Frances L. Swain, and Florence Powdermaker
Aware that my discreet silences and acts may conserve the ends of justice, I will do nothing in contempt of such high ministry.
Oswald Langdon|Carson Jay Lee

British Dictionary definitions for conserve

conserve

verb (kənˈsɜːv) (tr)

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

to preserve (a foodstuff, esp fruit) with sugar

noun (ˈkɒnsɜːv, kənˈsɜːv)

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

Derived Formsconservable, adjectiveconserver, noun

Word Origin for conserve

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

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 conserve

conserve

late 14c., from Old French conserver (9c.), from Latin conservare "to keep, preserve, keep intact, guard," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + servare "keep watch, maintain" (see observe). Related: Conserved; conserving. As a noun (often conserves) from late 14c.