conserve

[kuhn-surv, kon-surv, kuhn-surv]

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.

noun

1. Often conserves. a mixture of several fruits cooked to jamlike consistency with sugar and often garnished with nuts and raisins.

conserve

verb

1. to keep or protect from harm, decay, loss, etc

2. to preserve (a foodstuff, esp fruit) with sugar

noun

1. a preparation of fruit in sugar, similar to jam but usually containing whole pieces of fruit

Other Word Forms

• conserver noun
• conservable adjective
• nonconserving adjective
• self-conserving adjective
• unconserved adjective
• unconserving adjective
• well-conserved adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conserve¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of conserve¹

(vb) C14: from Latin conservāre to keep safe, from servāre to save, protect; (n) C14: from Medieval Latin conserva, from Latin conservāre

Example Sentences

It enabled developers to pay fees in lieu of mitigating impacts on Joshua trees, with the monies earmarked for the state to purchase and conserve habitat.

From Los Angeles Times

He said his plans to conserve the former hunting lodge had been "completely crushed".

From BBC

Proponents say the effort is groundbreaking because it seeks to conserve a species that’s abundant now but is projected to lose much of its habitat to climate change.

From Los Angeles Times

On Tuesday night, DWP announced the problem and said customers should urgently conserve water, but that high water demand coupled with the restricted water flow left the tank drained by about 7 a.m.

From Los Angeles Times

But the act doesn’t take full effect until 2040, which has allowed many groundwater districts to continue to draw heavily from aquifers even as they complete their plans to conserve those resources.

From Salon

Related Words

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