Definitions for preserve
prɪˈzɜrvpre·serve

Princeton's WordNet(3.33 / 9 votes)Rate this definition:

1. preserve(noun)

   a domain that seems to be specially reserved for someone

   "medicine is no longer a male preserve"

2. preserve(noun)

   a reservation where animals are protected

3. conserve, preserve, conserves, preserves(verb)

   fruit preserved by cooking with sugar

4. continue, uphold, carry on, bear on, preserve(verb)

   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"

5. conserve, preserve, maintain, keep up(verb)

   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"

6. save, preserve(verb)

   to keep up and reserve for personal or special use

   "She saved the old family photographs in a drawer"

7. preserve, keep(verb)

   prevent (food) from rotting

   "preserved meats"; "keep potatoes fresh"

8. keep, preserve(verb)

   maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger

   "May God keep you"

9. preserve(verb)

   keep undisturbed for personal or private use for hunting, shooting, or fishing

   "preserve the forest and the lakes"

Wiktionary(4.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. preserve(Noun)

   a sweet spread made of any of a variety of berries

2. preserve(Noun)

   a nature preserve

3. preserve(Verb)

   To protect; to keep; to maintain the condition of.

   Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it - Yuri Gagarin (the first man in space)

Webster Dictionary(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Preserve(verb)

   to keep or save from injury or destruction; to guard or defend from evil, harm, danger, etc.; to protect

2. Preserve(verb)

   to save from decay by the use of some preservative substance, as sugar, salt, etc.; to season and prepare for remaining in a good state, as fruits, meat, etc.; as, to preserve peaches or grapes

3. Preserve(verb)

   to maintain throughout; to keep intact; as, to preserve appearances; to preserve silence

4. Preserve(verb)

   to make preserves

5. Preserve(verb)

   to protect game for purposes of sport

6. Preserve(noun)

   that which is preserved; fruit, etc., seasoned and kept by suitable preparation; esp., fruit cooked with sugar; -- commonly in the plural

7. Preserve(noun)

   a place in which game, fish, etc., are preserved for purposes of sport, or for food

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Preserve

   prē-zėrv′, v.t. to keep safe from harm or injury: to defend: to keep in a sound state: to season for preservation: to make lasting: to keep up, as appearances.—n. that which is preserved, as fruit, &c.: that which preserves: a place for the protection of animals, as game: (pl.) spectacles to protect the eyes from strong light, &c.—n. Prēservabil′ity.—adj. Prēser′vable.—n. Prēservā′tion, act of preserving or keeping safe: state of being preserved: safety.—adjs. Prēser′vative, Prēser′vatory, tending to preserve: having the quality of preserving.—n. that which preserves: a preventive of injury or decay.—n. Prēserv′er. [Fr. préserver—L. præ, beforehand, servāre, to preserve.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. preserve

   To keep in the original form.

   Food is preserved in various ways e.g. curing, salting and with the use of a preservative.

   Submitted by MaryC on January 24, 2016  

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'preserve' in Verbs Frequency: #498

Anagrams for preserve »

1. perverse

How to pronounce preserve?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say preserve in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of preserve in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of preserve in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of preserve in a Sentence

1. A. N. Whitehead:

   The art of progress is to preserve order amid change.

2. Charles Gates Dawes:

   Mediocrity requires aloofness to preserve its dignity.

3. Meister Eckhart:

   In silence man can most readily preserve his integrity.

4. Paulino Guajajara:

   We have to preserve this life for our children's future.

5. Alexander Smith:

   If you wish to preserve your secret, wrap it up in frankness.

Images & Illustrations of preserve

Popularity rank by frequency of use