preserve

English Online Dictionary. What means preserve‎? What does preserve mean?

English

Alternative forms

• præserve (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English preserven, from Old French preserver, from Medieval Latin prēservāre (“keep, preserve”), from Late Latin praeservāre (“guard beforehand”), from prae (“before”, adverb) +‎ servāre (“maintain, keep”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈzɜːv/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈzɝv/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)v

Noun

preserve (countable and uncountable, plural preserves)

1. A sweet spread made of any of a variety of fruits.

   Synonyms: jam, jelly, marmalade, conserve

2. A reservation, a nature preserve.
3. An activity with restricted access.

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.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• preserver

Verb

preserve (third-person singular simple present preserves, present participle preserving, simple past and past participle preserved)

1. To protect; to keep from harm or injury.
2. To save from decay by the use of some preservative substance, such as sugar or salt; to season and prepare (fruits, meat, etc.) for storage.

3. To maintain throughout; to keep intact.

Derived terms

Translations

References

Anagrams

• persever, perverse

Portuguese

Verb

preserve

1. inflection of preservar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Spanish

Verb

preserve

1. inflection of preservar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative