reservoir

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

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

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

Bonneville to John Day Dam - Retention allowed June 15; bag limit one fish daily (two per year); legal size as 38-54 inches fork length in Bonneville reservoir and 43-54 inches fork length in The Dalles Reservoir.

— bill monroe, OregonLive.com, "Salmon seasons set for Oregon Coast, Columbia River," 13 Apr. 2018
The reservoir — the scenic centerpiece of the hilly neighborhood named after it — no longer holds potable water.

— hailey branson-potts, latimes.com, "The Silver Lake Reservoir is looking a little green, but LADWP says it's fine," 11 Apr. 2018
The Corps’ first forecast about flooding from the reservoirs was made Aug. 24, the day before Harvey made landfall, according to documents obtained by the Houston Chronicle.

— Washington Post, "Officials: Didn’t know of flood risk from dams during Harvey," 9 Apr. 2018
Its spillway, which partially collapsed last year and led to concerns about water flowing uncontrollably from the reservoir, may be put into use for the first time since it was rebuilt.

— kurtis alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, "Big storm raising flooding fears across Northern California," 4 Apr. 2018
Also, is that Garfield swimming in the Silver Lake reservoir?

— refinery29.com, "Andrew Garfield's New Movie Is L.A. Hipster Noir," 21 Mar. 2018
Tapping this reservoir, say many, will ultimately improve patient health and decrease medical costs, which are projected to rise 5.3% in 2018 alone, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

— Fortune, "Tech’s Next Big Wave: Big Data Meets Biology," 19 Mar. 2018
The drops collect in a reservoir at the panel’s base. 4.

— ryan bradley, WIRED, "Can Humans Survive on Water Vapor Alone?," 8 Mar. 2018
In February 1889, after two years of work, San Diego celebrated the completion of a flume designed to carry water from the Cuyamaca reservoir to San Diego.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "Here comes the flume," 22 Feb. 2018

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, stock, supply;

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

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

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

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