conserve

English

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conservation

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle English conserven, from Old French conserver, from Latin conservare (“to keep, preserve”), from com- (intensive prefix) + servo (“keep watch, maintain”). See also observe.

Pronunciation

Noun

• enPR: kŏn'sû(r)v, IPA^(key): /ˈkɒnsɜː(ɹ)v/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒnsɜː(ɹ)v

Verb

• enPR: kən-sû(r)v', IPA^(key): /kənˈsɜː(ɹ)v/

• Audio (US), verb

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)v

Noun

conserve (plural conserves)

1. Wilderness where human development is prohibited.
2. A jam or thick syrup made from fruit.
   • 1709 August 22 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele et al.], “Thursday, August 11, 1709”, in The Tatler, number 53; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, , London stereotype edition, volume I, London: I. Walker and Co.;  , 1822, →OCLC:

     I shall […] study broths, plasters, and conserves, till from a fine lady I become a notable woman.

3. (obsolete) A medicinal confection made of freshly gathered vegetable substances mixed with finely powdered refined sugar.
4. (obsolete) A conservatory.
   • c. 1700, John Evelyn, Elysium Britannicum:

     water […] alwayes placed in the Conserve

Translations

Verb

conserve (third-person singular simple present conserves, present participle conserving, simple past and past participle conserved)

1. (transitive) To save for later use, sometimes by the use of a preservative.

   to conserve fruits with sugar

   • 1721, John Strype, Ecclesiastical Memorials; Relating Chiefly to Religion, and the Reformation of It, and the Emergencies of the Church of England, under King Henry VIII. King Edward VI. and Queen Mary the First. , volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: John Wyat, →OCLC:

     the amity which […] they meant to conserve and maintain with the emperor

   • 1946 January and February, “The Why and The Wherefore: Condensing Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 62:

     Also the Russian lines over which these locomotives run pass through long stretches of waterless country, where the only alternative to hauling additional water-tank wagons is to conserve the water supply by condensing.

2. (transitive) To protect an environment, heritage, etc.
   • 2021 December 15, Robin Leleux, “Awards honour the best restoration projects: The Network Rail Community Award: Saltash and Stow”, in RAIL, number 946, page 58:

     Two entrants shared this award for their work on two quite different stations, but with the same purpose of bringing a redundant station building back into use for the benefit of the community, with the added result of conserving an historic building. Saltash Town Council bought Saltash station building after it had become very decrepit and 'an eyesore' - such that it was nearly pulled down to make way for housing.

3. (physics, chemistry, intransitive) To remain unchanged during a process

Derived terms

• conservation
• conservative
• conservatory
• conserved sequence

Translations

Anagrams

• Cervones, Converse, converse, coveners, encovers

French

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

conserve f (plural conserves)

1. canned food, preserve

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Ottoman Turkish: قونسروه (konserve)
  • Turkish: konserve

Verb

conserve

1. inflection of conserver:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “conserve”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

Anagrams

• recevons

Italian

Noun

conserve f

1. plural of conserva

Anagrams

• converse, scernevo

Latin

Noun

cōnserve

1. vocative singular of cōnservus

Portuguese

Verb

conserve

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

Spanish

Verb

conserve

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