reservoir

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

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Examples: reservoir in a Sentence

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

At issue are falling water levels at the West’s biggest reservoir, Lake Mead.

— jim carlton, WSJ, "Falling Lake Mead Water Levels Prompt Detente in Arizona Feud," 7 July 2018
In 2013 and again in 2016, summer blooms hurt coastal businesses and fueled support for a massive Everglades reservoir, which is scheduled to be completed in seven years — if Congress approves funding.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "$500 million pledged to fix Lake O's aging dike. The algae crisis is another matter," 6 July 2018
The water from London mine dumps into a creek, passing through major reservoirs, traveling more than a 100 miles to get its customer, Aurora.

— alicia acuna, Fox News, "Colorado town hopes to strike gold by converting abandoned mine into fresh water reservoir," 3 July 2018
Yet few visitors would know that all the water in their taps comes from boreholes sunk into aquifers – underground reservoirs of freshwater that are also used by residents, businesses, and agriculture.

— isaiah esipisu, The Christian Science Monitor, "In sustainability search, Kenya studies the unknown depths of its aquifers," 2 July 2018
Two reservoirs — Morse and Geist — lay the foundations for summer recreation and lend stunning backdrops to some of the most enviable waterfront properties in Central Indiana.

— shelley specchio, Indianapolis Star, "Discovering Indianapolis’ vibrant neighborhoods: Hamilton County," 29 June 2018
The military has even come to oversee the desperate water trade amid empty reservoirs, broken pipes and a lack of personnel.

— ethan bronner, Bloomberg.com, "Inside the Thwarted Venezuelan Military Coup," 28 June 2018
That would include water rights, reservoirs, conveyance facilities like the California Aqueduct. ...

— dale kasler, sacbee, "This one issue could make splitting California into three states virtually impossible," 25 June 2018
But sometimes the stems fuse to look like one giant circular trunk, with a hollow cavity inside that can be used as a shelter, for grain storage, as a water reservoir, or even for a burial site.

— diana gitig, Ars Technica, "“Tree of life” facing an outbreak of deaths," 14 June 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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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