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

Example Sentences

As the fighting dragged on, Israel had to conserve its stockpile.

From The Wall Street Journal

Consumers have also shown signs of using the paper towels, shampoo and other essentials they do buy more sparingly to conserve supplies.

From MarketWatch

This is our body’s survival mechanism, evolved over many centuries, to slow our metabolism down and conserve energy during times of famine or stress.

From The Wall Street Journal

Novak Djokovic knows that if he is to make history at the Australian Open, he will need to conserve his energy.

From BBC

George felt it too, shuddering and folding in on himself to conserve heat.

From Literature

Related Words

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