Save

Pronunciation

• enPR: sāv, IPA: /seɪv/
• Rhymes: -eɪv

Origin

(First attested 1175–1225) From Middle English saven, sauven, from Old French sauver, from Late Latin salvāre ("to save")

Full definition of save

Noun

1. In various sports, a block that prevents an opponent from scoring.The goaltender made a great save.
• 2010, December 29, Sam Sheringham, Liverpool 0 - 1 Wolverhampton, Wolves defender Ronald Zubar was slightly closer with his shot on the turn as he forced Pepe Reina, on his 200th Premier League appearance, into a low save.
2. (baseball) When a relief pitcher comes into a game with a 3 run or less lead, and his team wins while continually being ahead.Jones retired seven to earn the save.
3. (professional wrestling, slang) A point in a professional wrestling match when one or more wrestlers run to the ring to aid a fellow wrestler who is being beaten.The giant wrestler continued to beat down his smaller opponent, until several wrestlers ran in for the save.
4. (computing) The act, process, or result of saving data to a storage medium.If you're hit by a power cut, you'll lose all of your changes since your last save.The game console can store up to eight saves on a single cartridge.

Verb

1. (transitive) To prevent harm or difficulty.
1. To help (somebody) to survive, or rescue (somebody or something) from harm.
   She was saved from drowning by a passer-by.
   We were able to save a few of our possessions from the house fire.
• 2014-06-14, It's a gas, One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains. Isolating a city’s effluent and shipping it away in underground sewers has probably saved more lives than any medical procedure except vaccination.
2. To keep (something) safe; to safeguard.
• John Milton (1608-1674)Thou hast...quitted all to save
  A world from utter loss.
3. To spare (somebody) from effort, or from something undesirable.
• William Shakespeare (1564-1616)I'll save you
  That labour, sir. All's now done.
4. (theology) To redeem or protect someone from eternal damnation.
   Jesus Christ came to save sinners.
5. (sports) To catch or deflect (a shot at goal).
• 2012, Chelsea 6-0 WolvesChelsea's youngsters, who looked lively throughout, then combined for the second goal in the seventh minute. Romeu's shot was saved by Wolves goalkeeper Dorus De Vries but Piazon kept the ball alive and turned it back for an unmarked Bertrand to blast home.
2. To put aside, to avoid.
1. (transitive) To store for future use.
   Let's save the packaging in case we need to send the product back.
2. (transitive) To conserve or prevent the wasting of.
   Save electricity by turning off the lights when you leave the room.
• 1977, Agatha Christie, An Autobiography Chapter 4, An indulgent playmate, Grannie would lay aside the long scratchy-looking letter she was writing (heavily crossed ‘to save notepaper’) and enter into the delightful pastime of ‘a chicken from Mr Whiteley's’.
3. (transitive) To obviate or make unnecessary.
• John Dryden (1631-1700)Will you not speak to save a lady's blush?
4. (transitive, computing) To write a file to disk or other storage medium.
   Where did I save that document? I can't find it on the desktop.
5. (intransitive) To economize or avoid waste.
6. (transitive and intransitive) To accumulate money or valuables.

Usage notes

In computing sense “to write a file”, also used as phrasal verb save down informally. Compare other computing phrasal verbs such as print out and close out.

Derived terms

Preposition

1. Except; with the exception of.Only the parties may institute proceedings, save where the law shall provide otherwise.

Synonyms

• (with the exception of) except

Conjunction

1. (dated) unless; except

Derived terms

• save vs.
• save as

Anagrams

• vase