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

To keep the plant from looking ratty, water it once a week during dry spells and use a couple of inches of mulch around the plant to help conserve moisture. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "How to Grow and Prepare Horseradish Straight From Your Garden," 27 July 2018 Taken together, the entire plan provides a road map toward helping conserve the species in greatest need and outlines priorities for the next 10 years. — Michigan Wildlife Council, Detroit Free Press, "Polishing a gem: Plan aims for St. Clair-Detroit River system improvements," 10 July 2018 Then mulch the new plants to improve the appearance, prevent weeds and help conserve soil moisture. — Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Missed the spring planting season? It's not too late to plant.," 2 July 2018 And, as some on Twitter said, two students at the University of East Anglia in Norwich argued in 2014 that peeing in the shower actually does help conserve water. — Brittney Mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "Fans Respond to Cardi B's Shower Pee Tweet," 2 July 2018 His 120-pitch effort helped conserve a UNO staff that used seven pitchers in the 12-inning loss Friday. — Brody Miller, NOLA.com, "MLB Draft 2018: UNO's Bryan Warzek drafted by Los Angeles Dodgers in 6th round," 5 June 2018 Energy bills can soar during the summer due to the Houston heat, but Reliant Energy has some tips that should help conserve energy and keep more money in your wallet. — Tracy Maness, Houston Chronicle, "Reliant Energy offers tips for saving on energy costs," 1 June 2018 To help conserve the forest, the province of Alberta has designated four new protected parks in its northeastern region, reports David Thurton of the CBC. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Canada Is Now Home to the World’s Largest Stretch of Protected Boreal Forests," 18 May 2018 Maintain a mulch layer over tree and shrub roots to help conserve moisture. — Tom Maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "May in the garden," 28 Apr. 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.