conserve

1 of 2

verb

con·​serve kən-ˈsərv How to pronounce conserve (audio)
conserved; conserving

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
conserve our wildlife
2
: to preserve with sugar
3
: to maintain (a quantity) constant during a process of chemical, physical, or evolutionary change
conserved DNA sequences
conserver noun

conserve

2 of 2

noun

con·​serve ˈkän-ˌsərv How to pronounce conserve (audio)
1
: sweetmeat
especially : a candied fruit
2
: preserve
specifically : one prepared from a mixture of fruits

Examples of conserve in a Sentence

Verb With so little rain, everyone had to conserve water. We need to conserve our natural resources. Don't run around too much—you need to conserve your strength.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Mission managers have turned off heaters and taken other measures to conserve power and extend the Voyager probes' lifespan. Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 When the weather gets cold, some scorpions, such as the bark scorpion (also endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico), will nest and hibernate in large groups to conserve warmth. Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 For even more tips on conserving water, visit SRP’s saving water website. Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024 With the Ukrainians forced to conserve ammunition, small bands of Russian assault units were able to amass within the city itself. Marc Santora, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 There is the need for an amplifier able to step up the voltage that batteries can provide, with high efficiency to conserve energy, and with minimum noise, to preserve audio quality. IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2024 Researchers are now working to conserve and study the piece at Toruń’s Nicolaus Copernicus University, which could take two or more months. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024 Since the Birch Aquarium launched its little blue penguin exhibit in July 2022, a key goal has been to breed and help conserve the population of the birds. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2024 Congress decided to make daylight saving time permanent for two years from 1973 to 1975, extending the hours of daily sunlight year-round to conserve energy during the oil embargo crisis. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Assenza is a master of preserving and transforming fruit into delicious conserves and marmalades. Ben Mims, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2023 Her cranberry conserve? Amiel Stanek, Bon Appétit, 25 Oct. 2022 Its metabolism and body temperature drop sharply, letting the animal conserve energy. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 2014 Citizen scientists in the bay area are helping conserve birds and their habitats through the San Francisco Bird Bay Observatory. Kristin Butler, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2015 The parks will bring farmers, processors, and retailers together using advanced climate technology to minimise waste, conserve water, and maximise crop yields, Reuters reported. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 15 July 2022 The limited-edition yogurt, which is mixed with a strawberry-champagne conserve, features a small, tiara-like design drawing, similar to illustrations of crowns on Heinz’s sauce labels. Katie Deighton, WSJ, 25 May 2022 To maximize the damage and conserve resources, DDoSers often increase the firepower of their attacks through amplification vectors. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 1 Mar. 2022 Exactly what is the scientific foundation for the company’s claims that dredging the lake will fix its ecology and conserve water, however, is anybody’s guess. Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conserve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English conserven "to maintain in good condition, preserve, protect, keep," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French conserver "to preserve" (also continental Middle French), borrowed from Latin conservāre "to save or keep from danger, preserve, keep unchanged," from con- con- + servāre "to watch over, guard, keep, observe (a law, custom), maintain in existence, preserve," probably derivative of an abstract noun *seru̯om or *seru̯ā "observation, guarding," formed from the Indo-European verbal base *ser- "keep watch on, guard" and a nominal suffix *-u̯o- — more at serve entry 1

Noun

Middle English, "medicinal preparation, sweetmeat," borrowed from Middle French, "preserved food product," noun derivative of conserver "to maintain, preserve, conserve entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of conserve was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near conserve

Cite this Entry

“Conserve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conserve. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

conserve

1 of 2 verb
con·​serve kən-ˈsərv How to pronounce conserve (audio)
conserved; conserving
1
a
: to keep in a safe or sound state
b
: to avoid wasteful or destructive use of : use carefully
conserve natural resources
conserve energy
2
: to preserve with sugar
3
: to keep (a quantity) constant during a process of change (as chemical change)
conserver noun

conserve

2 of 2 noun
con·​serve ˈkän-ˌsərv How to pronounce conserve (audio)
1
: a candied fruit
2

Medical Definition

conserve

1 of 2 noun
con·​serve ˈkän-ˌsərv How to pronounce conserve (audio)
: an obsolete medicinal preparation made by mixing undried vegetable drugs with sufficient powdered sugar to form a soft mass compare confection

conserve

2 of 2 transitive verb
con·​serve kən-ˈsərv How to pronounce conserve (audio)
conserved; conserving
: to maintain (a quantity) constant during a process of chemical, physical, or evolutionary change
a DNA sequence that has been conserved

More from Merriam-Webster on conserve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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