preserve

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /pɹəˈzɝv/ UK /pɹəˈzɜːv/ See IPA manual

Freq #6548

Meanings

1

verb
To keep something safe and protect it from harm, loss, or damage.

We must preserve these ancient buildings for future generations.
2

verb
To treat food so that it does not go bad.

You can preserve peaches by storing them in sugar syrup.
3

noun
An area of land set aside to protect wildlife or nature.

The lions live freely inside the wildlife preserve.
4

noun
An activity or area treated as belonging to one person or group.

Medicine is no longer a male preserve.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to keep something safe and... conserve

2 verb · to treat food so that it... keep

Word family

Forms preservedpreservespreserving

Derived forms biopreservedcryopreservelyopreservemispreservenonpreservedpreservabilitypreservablepreservationpreservinglyunpreserved

Related forms preserver

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

shooting preserve
land set aside for hunting during permitted seasons

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Preserve entered English in the late Middle Ages and derives from Latin prae, “in advance,” combined with servare, “to keep.”

Etymology

From Middle English preserven, from Old French preserver, from Medieval Latin prēservāre (“keep, preserve”), from Late Latin praeservāre (“guard beforehand”), from prae (“before”, adverb) + servāre (“maintain, keep”).

*ser- (guard) Proto-Indo-European preserven Middle English preserver Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# preserve

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /pɹəˈzɝv/
**IPA (UK):** /pɹəˈzɜːv/
**Frequency rank:** 6548

## Meanings
1. To keep something safe and protect it from harm, loss, or damage.
2. To treat food so that it does not go bad.
3. An area of land set aside to protect wildlife or nature.
4. An activity or area treated as belonging to one person or group.

## Examples
- We must preserve these ancient buildings for future generations.
- You can preserve peaches by storing them in sugar syrup.
- The lions live freely inside the wildlife preserve.
- Medicine is no longer a male preserve.

## Derived Forms
- biopreserved
- cryopreserve
- lyopreserve
- mispreserve
- nonpreserved
- preservability
- preservable
- preservation
- preservingly
- unpreserved

## Related Forms
- preserver

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ser- (guard)
- Root: preserven
- Root: preserver

## Etymology
From Middle English preserven, from Old French preserver, from Medieval Latin prēservāre (“keep, preserve”), from Late Latin praeservāre (“guard beforehand”), from prae (“before”, adverb) + servāre (“maintain, keep”).

## AI Etymology
Preserve comes from Middle English preserven, from Old French preserver, from Medieval Latin prēservāre (“keep, preserve”), from Late Latin praeservāre (“guard beforehand”), from prae (“before”, adverb) + servāre (“maintain, keep”). In present-day English it covers to keep something safe and protect it from harm, loss, or damage, to treat food so that it does not go bad, and an area of land set aside to protect wildlife or nature. The wider family includes derived forms such as biopreserved, cryopreserve, lyopreserve, mispreserve, nonpreserved and related forms such as preserver.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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