preserved
Americanadjective
-
(of food or any perishable substance) prepared by canning, pickling, salting, or the like, or treated by some process to prevent decomposition or fermentation.
I had never had such fresh-tasting preserved fruit before.
-
kept safe from harm or injury; protected or spared.
This is a wonderfully preserved example of Mayan cave art.
-
kept up or maintained; kept in good condition or health.
Tucked in Amsterdam’s inner city is a uniquely preserved 17th-century house from the Dutch Golden Age.
-
kept alive or in existence.
When I take a portrait photograph, I’m capturing a moment in a life, making it a preserved memory.
-
(of game or fish, natural habitats, etc.) maintained or reserved for continued hunting or fishing, or for private or public use and appreciation.
New walking trails will be built through the preserved areas of parkland.
verb
Other Word Forms
- semipreserved adjective
- unpreserved adjective
Etymology
Origin of preserved
First recorded in 1550–60; preserve ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; preserve ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The bowel cancers and accompanying gut bacteria have been preserved in paraffin wax.
From BBC
The frog had been incorrectly identified and designated as a holotype, which is the single preserved specimen used to officially define a species.
From Science Daily
Future plans for the building are unknown, but Saugus resident and cafe regular Jack Getskow hopes the building might be preserved.
From Los Angeles Times
“The building could readily have been painted and preserved to serve in an adaptive re-use capacity as a gem in the community,” said the organization.
From Los Angeles Times
As co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she preserved Anne Frank's memory and educated people about the Holocaust.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
