conserve

verb

con·serve | \ kən-ˈsərv

conserved; conserving

Definition of conserve

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

conserve

noun

con·serve | \ ˈkän-ˌsərv

Definition of conserve (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : sweetmeat especially : a candied fruit

2 : preserve specifically : one prepared from a mixture of fruits

Other Words from conserve Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about conserve

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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

The problem, conservationists say, is that some of the land targeted for leasing overlaps with wildlife migration corridors and critical winter range, areas that former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke singled out for conserving in a 2018 order. — Judith Kohler, The Denver Post, "State to ask Colorado BLM to defer action on some oil, gas leases proposed in wildlife habitat," 10 June 2019 Some numbers provided by TRR to put it in perspective: Consigning one pair of jeans conserves 279 liters of water. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "How Sustainable Is Consigning Clothing? TheRealReal Is Glad You Asked," 5 Apr. 2019 For writer Cullen Murphy and photographer Robert Polidori, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the works of Vatican City’s Vatican Museums and the complex operation to conserve them made for an eye-opening trip. — Christopher Ross, WSJ, "WSJ. Magazine Contributors: April 2019," 4 Apr. 2019 Among the last to emerge from the cave was the Boars’ 25-year-old soccer coach, Ekkapol Chantawong, who helped the boys stay alive by conserving their energy during the 10 days before aid arrived. — Richard C. Paddock, New York Times, "How Rescuers Pulled Off the Impossible in a Treacherous Thai Cave," 10 July 2018 The exact function of this proto-sleep remains unclear, but sleep unquestionably confers many benefits in animals, including healing the nervous system, strengthening memory, and conserving energy. — Michael Greshko, National Geographic, "Brainless Creatures Can Do Some Incredibly Smart Things," 21 May 2018 Barkan walked slowly, with assistance from a cane, and tried to spend as much time in a wheelchair to help conserve his energy. — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "Barkan got national attention for protesting the GOP tax bill last year.," 24 Apr. 2018 During sleep, your core temp is reduced by 1 to 2°F, as a way to conserve energy. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Studies Show Sleeping in a Cold Room is Actually Better for Your Health," 19 Mar. 2019 Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip also arrived in style after skipping Monday’s christening, a decision explained by one source as a way to conserve energy for the packed week ahead. — Ashley Hoffman, Time, "The Royal Couples Redefined Squad Goals at a Major Royal Air Force Event," 10 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Doing so conserves resources (those not wasted on people who are not likely to respond or be in need of help). — Austin Frakt, New York Times, "It Saves Lives. It Can Save Money. So Why Aren’t We Spending More on Public Health?," 28 May 2018 The benefit of this method is that the thick mulch conserves soil moisture and smothers weeds. — Doug Hall, Good Housekeeping, "7 Ways To Grow Potatoes," 28 June 2016 His family had been manufacturing conserves since 1885 but with regular, unremarkable, dreadfully ordinary berries. — Zahra Pettican, Bon Appetit, "This Incredible Strawberry Jam Is Made with Rare, Extremely Tiny Strawberries," 25 Apr. 2018 Purple beets are a positive bummer, leaden slabs squirted with oily olive puree and huckleberry conserves without any dairy or acid to cut through the dense, beety fog. — Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, "With Marisol inside the MCA, Jason Hammel paints a new canvas," 13 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conserve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.