conserve

¹con·serve

verb \kən-ˈsərv\

con·servedcon·serv·ing

Definition of CONSERVE

transitive verb

1

: to keep in a safe or sound state <he conserved his inheritance>; especially : to avoid wasteful or destructive use of <conserve natural resources>

2

: to preserve with sugar

3

: to maintain (a quantity) constant during a process of chemical, physical, or evolutionary change <conserved DNA sequences>

— con·serv·er noun

Examples of CONSERVE

1. With so little rain, everyone had to conserve water.
2. We need to conserve our natural resources.
3. Don't run around too much—you need to conserve your strength.

Origin of CONSERVE

Middle English, from Middle French conserver, from Latin conservare, from com- + servare to keep, guard, observe; akin to Avestan haurvaiti he guards

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CONSERVE

Synonyms: husband

Antonyms: blow, dissipate, fritter (away), lavish, misspend, run through, squander, throw away, waste

Related Words: economize, save, scrimp, skimp; preserve, protect, save; hoard, lay by, lay up

Near Antonyms: clean (out), consume, deplete, drain, exhaust, expend, impoverish, spend, use up

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

Rhymes with CONSERVE

bell curve, deserve, disserve, french curve, hors d'oeuvre, incurve, observe, preserve, recurve, reserve, self-serve, sine curve, skew curve, subserve, unnerve