Showing results for "preserved"

• past tense form of preserve.
• past participle of preserve.

preserved

American  

[pri-zurvd] / prɪˈzɜrvd /

adjective

1. (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.

2. kept safe from harm or injury; protected or spared.

   This is a wonderfully preserved example of Mayan cave art.

3. 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.

4. kept alive or in existence.

   When I take a portrait photograph, I’m capturing a moment in a life, making it a preserved memory.

5. (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.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of preserve.

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

Explanation

Something that's preserved is kept in its original state or kept alive and fresh. Preserved artifacts are protected from damage, often in a museum where they can be kept safe. Preserved food is treated in some way that makes it spoil much more slowly than it would otherwise. Sometimes this is done by adding chemical preservatives, and other times it's a more natural process, involving drying, pickling, salting, or canning. Preserved fruit, cooked with sugar and sealed in jars, is also called preserves. These words all stem from the Medieval Latin preservare, "keep safe."

Example Sentences

History is often treated as something preserved behind museum glass.

From Salon • Jul. 10, 2026

The good news is produce, plants and roots can still be preserved.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

He told AFP that "the presumption of innocence must be preserved... until the facts are established by the competent authorities."

From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026

Some nests even preserved grains of ancient pollen that mother bees had stored as food for their developing offspring.

From Science Daily • Jul. 5, 2026

He unlocked a tall glass cabinet crammed with more books, preserved birds, bottled beasts, and other curios.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

Related Words

• covered
• guaranteed
• guarded
• secured
• sheltered