verb / noun
preserve
prih-ZURV/prɪˈzɜːrv/
To protect something from loss, damage, or deterioration.
She applies a protective coat to preserve the old wooden bench.
Etymology
‘Guard beforehand’ frames protection as preventing harm rather than repairing it. From keeping something safe, preserve extended to maintaining it in a particular state or condition.
In context
we would preserve things in bottles in the time period, whole fruit something like cherries or strawberries we could submerge them in water or sometimes an alcohol that would preserve them for a very long period of time.
More examples
- We preserve summer vegetables by freezing them.
- The nature preserve provides a safe habitat for nesting birds.
- He spreads strawberry preserves on his toast.
Forms
preserve · preserves · preserved · preserving
preservation noun — The act of protecting something from deterioration.
preservative noun — A substance that prevents decay or spoilage.