Preserve
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: /pɹᵻˈzÉ™Ëv/
- US IPA: /pɹəˈzəɹv/, /pɹiˈzəɹv/
- Rhymes: -ÉœË(r)v
Alternative forms
- præserve archaic
Full definition of preserve
Noun
preserve
(countable and uncountable; plural preserves)- A sweet spread made of any of a variety of berries.
- A reservation, a nature preserve.
- 1881, , :Suppose Shakespeare had been knocked on the head some dark night in Thomas Lucy preserves, the world would have wagged on better or worse, the pitcher gone to the well, the scythe to the corn, and the student to his book; and no one been any the wiser of the loss.
- An activity with restricted access.
- 2013-06-22, T time, The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them, which is then licensed to related businesses in high-tax countries, is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies.
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.
Verb
- To protect; to keep from harm or injury.
- ShakespeareNow, good angels preserve the king.
- Yuri GagarinOrbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it.
- To save from decay by the use of some preservative substance, such as as sugar or salt; to season and prepare (fruits, meat, etc.) for storage.to preserve peaches or grapes
- To maintain throughout; to keep intact.to preserve appearances; to preserve silence