reservoir

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noun res·er·voir \ ˈre-zə-ˌvwär , -zər- , -ˌvwȯr also -ˌvȯi \

Definition of reservoir

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 :an organism in which a parasite that is pathogenic for some other species lives and multiplies usually without damaging its host

See reservoir defined for English-language learners

See reservoir defined for kids

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 of reservoir from the Web

And eagles set up one new nest 100 feet from a home in Fayette County near the Lexington reservoir, the report found.

— james bruggers, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky's bald eagle population reaches new heights," 29 Aug. 2017
By incorporating into the bookstore experience features from its website and product choices based on deep reservoirs of purchasing and usage information, Amazon is creating a shopping ecosystem that seamlessly spans the online and offline worlds.

— Ángel gonzález, The Seattle Times, "Amazon’s new Bellevue bookstore shows brick-and-mortar ramp-up," 22 Aug. 2017
How can fish grow to be so large in one of the county’s smallest reservoirs?

— j. harry jones, sandiegouniontribune.com, "No fish tale: Giant catfish are lurking in local lakes," 19 Aug. 2017
Each is vying for Trump’s deep reservoir of support in the state by promising to support his agenda, even if that means standing up to McConnell.

— russell berman, The Atlantic, "Mitch McConnell, Under Siege," 9 Aug. 2017
The silicone mouthpiece of the reservoir sits just above the wrist, making drinking easy.

— steve dorfman, miamiherald, "Runners will love this — a hydration system that you wear on your arm," 31 July 2017
The reservoir has been designed so it can be connected to the water treatment plant, and water can be drawn when needed, sent through the treatment process and then out to customers. '

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Maryland American breaks ground on Bel Air water impoundment," 13 July 2017
The units heat and cool reservoirs of water, and researchers suspected that as the device ventilated heat or pumped water to the blankets, tiny droplets became aerosolized and spread through the operating room, carrying microbes with them.

— michael price, Science | AAAS, "We may now know how a rare, lethal microbe infected dozens of people across the globe," 12 July 2017
Alabama has more than 77,000 miles of rivers and streams, 41 public lakes and reservoirs and a flourishing variety of fish habitats.

— leada gore, AL.com, "Fish advisories: What Alabama fish are safe to eat? Understanding Health Department species alerts," 11 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of reservoir

French réservoir, from Middle French, from reserver

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1690

See Words from the same year

reservoir Synonyms

Synonyms

budget, force, fund, inventory, pool, repertoire, supply, stock

Related Words

reserve, resource; cache, hoard, stockpile; refill, renewal, replacement; kitty, nest egg, pot, purse; fountain, mine, source, spring, well, wellspring

Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra

RESERVOIR Defined for English Language Learners

reservoir

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noun

Definition of reservoir for English Language Learners

: a usually artificial lake that is used to store a large supply of water for use in people's homes, in businesses, etc.
: a place (such as a part of a machine) where a liquid is stored
: an extra supply of something

RESERVOIR Defined for Kids

reservoir

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noun res·er·voir \ ˈre-zər-ˌvwär \

Definition of reservoir for Students

:a place where something (as water) is kept in store for future use

Medical Dictionary

reservoir

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noun res·er·voir \ ˈrez-ə(r)v-ˌwär , -ə(r)v-ˌ(w)ȯr \

medical Definition of reservoir

1 :a space (as an enlargement of a vessel or the cavity of a glandular acinus) in which a body fluid is stored

2 :an organism in which a parasite that is pathogenic for some other species lives and multiplies without damaging its host; also :a noneconomic organism within which a pathogen of economic or medical importance flourishes without regard to its pathogenicity for the reservoir