reservoir

noun

res·​er·​voir ˈre-zə-ˌvwär How to pronounce reservoir (audio) -zər- How to pronounce reservoir (audio) -ˌvwȯr How to pronounce reservoir (audio)
 also  -ˌvȯi
1
: a place where something is kept in store: such as
a
: an artificial lake where water is collected and kept in quantity for use
b
: a part of an apparatus in which a liquid is held
c
: supply, store
a large reservoir of educated people
2
: an extra supply : reserve
3
a
: a host organism in which an infectious agent (such as a bacterium or virus) that is pathogenic for some other species lives and multiplies typically without damaging the host

Note: A reservoir serves as a source from which transmission of infection and outbreaks of disease can occur.

It is the white-footed mouse that serves as a natural reservoir host for the spirochete B. [Borrelia] burgdorferi. These mice carry the spirochete without any apparent harm to themselves, and it is through feeding on infected mice that the immature stages of the tick acquire the spirochete.Suzanne Clothier et al.
also : a nonliving thing (such as soil or water) in which an infectious agent lives and multiplies and which serves as a source of infection similar to a host organism
b
: a part of the body that harbors an infectious agent and serves as a source of reinfection or infection transmission
… vulvar or rectal reservoirs, which might increase risk for BV [bacterial vaginosis] recurrence.Lisa E. Manhart et al.
compare carrier sense 5a, vector entry 1 sense 2a

Examples of reservoir in a Sentence

The pen has a large ink reservoir. Colleges and universities provide reservoirs of talent for job recruiters. She found the reservoirs of energy she needed to finish the job.
Recent Examples on the Web Bullheads primarily inhabit lakes, ponds, and reservoirs, but they can be found in some rivers as well. Outdoor Life, 30 Nov. 2023 In other Colorado River news, a $1.2-billion deal to protect the river’s biggest reservoirs may simply increase the price of existing programs that pay farmers to use less water, while doing little to create new savings. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023 Solar-panel farms are being installed on hillsides, rooftops, and pastures, and, more and more, in floating arrays in harbors or reservoirs. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2023 The 34-room property, named after a prolific local tree and the region’s reservoir, is the newest destination from the Foster Supply Hospitality, which specializes in upstate New York gems like the fine-dining DeBruce lodge and the lakeside Kenoza Hall hotel. Samantha Falewée, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2023 Exxon will also be extracting lithium-rich brine from reservoirs about 10,000 feet (3,000 m) underground. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 13 Nov. 2023 It was first identified in pigs in Malaysia and Singapore in the late 1980s, though its natural reservoir is fruit bats. Byerin Prater, Fortune Well, 10 Nov. 2023 But no matter how low its reservoirs sink, the historic claims of these families and all of Imperial County place them first in line — ahead of every state and major city — for whatever water remains. Janet Wilson, ProPublica, 9 Nov. 2023 Sometimes these ash reservoirs burst, as happened disastrously in Tennessee in 2008, so communities do not like them in their backyards. Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reservoir.' 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

French réservoir, from Middle French, from reserver

First Known Use

1690, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reservoir was in 1690

Dictionary Entries Near reservoir

Cite this Entry

“Reservoir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reservoir. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

reservoir

noun
1
: a place where something is kept in store
especially : an artificial or natural lake where water is collected as a water supply
2
: an extra supply : reserve
3
: a living thing (as a fly or mouse) in which a parasite (as a bacterium) that is harmful to some other living thing lives and multiplies
Etymology

from French réservoir "place where something is kept in reserve," from reserver "to reserve, keep for future use"

Medical Definition

reservoir

noun
1
: a space (as an enlargement of a vessel or the cavity of a glandular acinus) in which a body fluid is stored
2
a
: a host organism in which an infectious agent (as a bacterium or virus) that is pathogenic for some other species lives and multiplies typically without damaging the host

Note: A reservoir serves as a source from which transmission of infection and outbreaks of disease can occur.

Wild rodents also constitute a reservoir of hantaviruses. The viruses are shed in urine, droppings, and saliva, and humans are mainly infected aerogenically by inhaling aerosols containing the virus.Hilde Kruse et al., Emerging Infectious Diseases
also : a nonliving thing (as soil or water) in which an infectious agent lives and multiplies and which serves as a source of infection similar to a host organism
b
: a part of the body that harbors an infectious agent and serves as a source of reinfection or infection transmission
… vulvar or rectal reservoirs, which might increase risk for BV [bacterial vaginosis] recurrence.Lisa E. Manhart et al., Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology
carrier sense 1a, vector entry 1 sense 2

More from Merriam-Webster on reservoir

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!