preservative

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a substance added to food, medicine, wood, or another material to prevent decay, spoilage, or deterioration

   The sauce contains no artificial preservative and must be refrigerated after opening.

2. 2
   noun

   a thing or measure that protects against harm, loss, or an unwanted condition; formal or historical

   For Charlotte, marriage seemed a preservative against poverty and dependence.

3. 3
   adj

   tending or intended to preserve something

   The conservator applied a thin preservative coating to the wooden frame.

From Old French preservatif and Medieval Latin praeservativus, from Latin praeservare, 'to guard beforehand,' itself prae- ('before') + servare ('to keep safe'). The adjective came first; the noun developed for anything, especially a substance, that performs that protective function.

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