save1
- to rescue from danger or possible harm, injury, or loss: to save someone from drowning.
- to keep safe, intact, or unhurt; safeguard; preserve: God save the king.
- to keep from being lost: to save the game.
- to avoid the spending, consumption, or waste of: to save fuel.
- to keep, as for reuse: to save leftovers for tomorrow's dinner.
- to set aside, reserve, or lay by: to save money.
- to treat carefully in order to reduce wear, fatigue, etc.: to save one's eyes by reading under proper light.
- to prevent the occurrence, use, or necessity of; obviate: to come early in order to save waiting.
- Theology. to deliver from the power and consequences of sin.
- Computers. to copy (a file) from RAM onto a disk or other storage medium.
- Sports. to stop (a ball or puck) from entering one's goal.
- to lay up money as the result of economy or thrift.
- to be economical in expenditure.
- to preserve something from harm, injury, loss, etc.
- to admit of being kept without spoiling, as food.
- an act or instance of saving, especially in sports.
- Baseball. a statistical credit given a relief pitcher for preserving a team's victory by holding its lead in a game.
Origin of save1
Synonyms
See more synonyms for save on Thesaurus.comsave2
- except; but: All the guests had left save one.
- except; but (usually followed by that): He would have gone, save that he had no means.
Origin of save2
Synonym study
Save
- Sava.
Examples from the Web for save
Contemporary Examples
If the world is going to end, why are evangelicals so busy trying to save it?
Mills was lying on the sidewalk, dying, right in front of people trained to save him.
Like background check laws across the country, it will help keep guns out of dangerous hands, reduce gun crime, and save lives.
“We started doing this because we want to save lives,” Jonson says.
Alexander and Adorno were doing what they could to save the officer on the passenger side, Liu.
Historical Examples
For one thing Fred sha'n't get into that kind of muss if I can save him from it.
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
And she never so much as dreamt that he would cast an eye on her save in kindness.
The Armourer's PrenticesCharlotte M. Yonge
Were all the events of life combining to ruin or to save him?
MalboneThomas Wentworth Higginson
He bore still around him the rope that was to save the rest.
MalboneThomas Wentworth Higginson
Tell me, Jesse, tell your friend, who came into the world to save sinners?
save1
- (tr) to rescue, preserve, or guard (a person or thing) from danger or harm
- to avoid the spending, waste, or loss of (money, possessions, etc)
- (tr) to deliver from sin; redeem
- (often foll by up) to set aside or reserve (money, goods, etc) for future use
- (tr) to treat with care so as to avoid or lessen wear or degenerationuse a good light to save your eyes
- (tr) to prevent the necessity for; obviate the trouble ofgood work now will save future revision
- (tr) sport to prevent (a goal) by stopping (a struck ball or puck)
- (intr) mainly US (of food) to admit of preservation; keep
- sport the act of saving a goal
- computing an instruction to write information from the memory onto a tape or disk
Word Origin
save2
- Also: saving (often foll by for) with the exception of
- but; except
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for save
v.
c.1200, "to deliver from some danger; rescue from peril, bring to safety," also "prevent the death of;" also theological, "to deliver from sin or its consequences; admit to eternal life; gain salvation," from Old French sauver "keep (safe), protect, redeem," from Late Latin salvare "make safe, secure," from Latin salvus "safe" (see safe (adj.)). From c.1300 as "reserve for future use, hold back, store up instead of spending;" hence "keep possession of" (late 14c.).
Save face (1898) first was used among the British community in China and is said to be from Chinese; it has not been found in Chinese, but tiu lien "to lose face" does occur. To not (do something) to save one's life is recorded from 1848. To save (one's) breath "cease talking or arguing" is from 1926.
n.
in the sports sense of "act of preventing opponent from scoring," 1890, from save (v.).
prep.
"except," early 14c., from adjective save, which also was an early variant of safe (adj.), paralleling evolution in Old French sauf "safe," prepositional use of the adjective, in phrases such as saulve l'honneur "save (our) honor;" also a use in Latin (salva lege, etc.).
Idioms and Phrases with save
save
In addition to the idioms beginning with save
also see: