Dictionary Definition
preserve
Noun
1 a domain that seems to be specially reserved
for someone; "medicine is no longer a male preserve"
2 a reservation where animals are protected
Verb
1 keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause
to remain or last; "preserve the peace in the family"; "continue
the family tradition"; "Carry on the old traditions" [syn: continue, uphold, carry on,
bear on]
[ant: discontinue]
2 keep in safety and protect from harm, decay,
loss, or destruction; "We preserve these archeological findings";
"The old lady could not keep up the building"; "children must be
taught to conserve our national heritage"; "The museum curator
conserved the ancient manuscripts" [syn: conserve, maintain, keep up]
3 to keep up and reserve for personal or special
use; "She saved the old family photographs in a drawer" [syn:
save]
4 prevent (food) from rotting; "preserved meats";
"keep potatoes fresh" [syn: keep]
5 maintain in safety from injury, harm, or
danger; "May God keep you" [syn: keep]
6 keep undisturbed for personal or private use
for hunting, shooting, or fishing; "preserve the forest and the
lakes"
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -ɜː(r)v
Noun
- a sweet spread made of any of a variety of berries
- a nature preserve
Usage notes
More often used in the plural, as strawberry preserves, but the form without the s can also be used as the plural form, or to refer to a single type.See also
Translations
- Finnish: säilyttää, säilöä, taltioida
- French: préserver
- German: bewahren, auch: aufrecht erhalten
- Ido: prezervar
- Italian: preservare
- Portuguese: preservar
- Serbian: branjevina, zagrad, zabran
- Spanish: preservar
- Swedish: bevara
Anagrams
Extensive Definition
The word preserve may refer to:
- Fruit preserves, a type of sweet spread or condiment
- Nature Reserve, an area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or other special interest, usually protected
- A 2004 compilation involving the band Wow & Flutter
See also
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
Indian reservation, Jell-O, anhydrate, archives, asylum, attend to, baby-sit,
bank, bird sanctuary,
blancmange,
blast-freeze, bottle up, brine, can, candy, care for, chaperon, cherish, comfit, compote, confection, confectionery, confiture, conserve, conserves, continue, copyright, cork up, corn, cure, defend, dehydrate, desiccate, dry, dry-cure, dry-salt, embalm, eternalize, eternize, evaporate, extend, forest preserve, foster, freeze, freeze-dry, frosting, fume, game preserve, game reserve,
game sanctuary, gelatin,
glaze, guard, harbor, harbor of refuge,
harborage, haven, hold, hold back, hold in, honey, husband, icing, immortalize, inhibit, irradiate, jam, jelly, jerk, keep, keep alive, keep back, keep
by one, keep fresh, keep going, keep in, keep in reserve, keep in
store, keep intact, keep inviolate, keep on hand, keep safe, keep
up, keep watch over, kipper, lay by, lengthen, library, lock in, look after,
look out for, look to, maintain, marinade, marinate, marmalade, matronize, meringue, mind, minister to, monumentalize, mother, mousse, mummify, museum, national forest, national
park, not destroy, not endanger, not expend, not use up, not waste,
nurse, nurture, paradise, park, patent, perennialize, perpetuate, pickle, port, preservatize, preserve from
oblivion, preserves,
prolong, protect, protege, protract, provide for, put
apart, put aside, put by, put up, quick-freeze, refrigerate, refuge, register, repress, reservation, reserve, retain, ride herd on, safe haven,
safeguard, safehold, salt, sanctuary, save, save up, season, see after, see to, set
apart, set aside, set by, shelter, shepherd, shield, smoke, smoke-cure, snug harbor,
spare, state forest,
store, stronghold, stuff, support, suppress, sustain, sweet, sweet stuff, sweetmeat, sweets, take care of, take charge
of, tend, tutti-frutti,
uphold, watch, watch out for, watch over,
whipped cream, wilderness preserve, wildlife preserve, withhold