conserve

[kuhn-surv, kon-surv, kuhn-surv]

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.

noun

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

conserve

verb

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

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

noun

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of conserve¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of conserve¹

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

Example Sentences

Official assessments have found the 2000 act had failed at its main goal of conserving the environment and protecting endangered species.

Read more on Barron's

Balaraman started the race in the lead group and conserved as much energy as possible.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"Believe it or not, most of the central ideas and types of metabolism we study are conserved from worms to people," said Leiser.

Read more on Science Daily

Officials are pleading with citizens to conserve water as the crisis deepens.

Read more on BBC

This ancient brain organization, conserved for over 500 million years, became the foundation upon which the cortex later evolved its higher cognitive functions.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

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