preserve
A sweet spread made of any of a variety of fruits.
Noun 3 meanings
A sweet spread made of any of a variety of fruits.
A reservation, a nature preserve.
An exclusive area of activity.
“Kids regard their tree houses as their own preserve.”
Verb 3 meanings
To protect; to keep from harm or injury.
“Let's pray that we'd be preserved from danger.”
To save from decay by the use of some preservative substance, such as sugar or salt; to season and prepare (fruits, meat, etc.) for storage.
“to preserve peaches or grapes”
To maintain throughout; to keep intact.
“to preserve appearances; to preserve silence”
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”). Displaced native Old English nerian.
Similar and opposite words
PRESERVE at a glance
PRESERVE has 8 letters and scores 13 points in Scrabble (P 3 + R 1 + E 1 + S 1 + E 1 + R 1 + V 4 + E 1) and 15 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #5,158 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with preserve
All rhymesKeep going
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