reservoir

[rez-er-vwahr, -vwawr, -vawr, rez-uh-]

noun

1. a natural or artificial place where water is collected and stored for use, especially water for supplying a community, irrigating land, furnishing power, etc.

2. a receptacle or chamber for holding a liquid or fluid.

3. Geology.,  pool16

4. Biology.,  a cavity or part that holds some fluid or secretion.

5. a place where anything is collected or accumulated in great amount.

   Synonyms: stockpile, fund, pool, store, hoard

6. a large or extra supply or stock; reserve.

   a reservoir of knowledge.

reservoir

/ ˈrɛzəˌvwɑː /

noun

1. a natural or artificial lake or large tank used for collecting and storing water, esp for community water supplies or irrigation

2. a receptacle for storing gas, esp one attached to a stove

3. biology a vacuole or cavity in an organism, containing a secretion or some other fluid

4. anatomy another name for cisterna

5. a place where a great stock of anything is accumulated

6. a large supply of something; reserve

   a reservoir of talent

reservoir

1. A natural or artificial pond or lake used for the storage of water.

2. An underground mass of rock or sediment that is porous and permeable enough to allow oil or natural gas to accumulate in it.

3. An organism that is the host for a parasitic pathogen or that directly or indirectly transmits a pathogen to which it is immune.

Word History and Origins

Origin of reservoir¹

1680–90; < French réservoir, equivalent to réserv ( er ) to reserve + -oir -ory ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of reservoir¹

C17: from French réservoir , from réserver to _reserve

Example Sentences

“Draining the Santa Ynez reservoir was necessary to protect public health while repairing the tear in its cover and required by both federal and state regulations,” the report says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Rainfall is at record lows and reservoirs are nearly empty.

Read more on BBC

Water levels at reservoirs supplying many provinces have fallen to record lows.

Read more on Barron's

With continued development, similar systems could be deployed on lakes, reservoirs, or coastal waters, providing renewable electricity without using any land-based space.

Read more on Science Daily

The individual had consumed high amounts of animal protein, including fish and possibly shellfish that fed on ancient carbon sources, creating a known "reservoir" effect in the bones.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• basin 
• cistern 
• container 
• lake 
• pond 
• pool 
• reserve 
• source 
• stockpile 
• storage 
• supply 
• tank