verb, -served, -serv⋅ing, noun | 1. | to keep alive or in existence; make lasting: to preserve our liberties as free citizens. |
| 2. | to keep safe from harm or injury; protect or spare. |
| 3. | to keep up; maintain: to preserve historical monuments. |
| 4. | to keep possession of; retain: to preserve one's composure. |
| 5. | to prepare (food or any perishable substance) so as to resist decomposition or fermentation. |
| 6. | to prepare (fruit, vegetables, etc.) by cooking with sugar, pickling, canning, or the like. |
| 7. | to maintain and reserve (game, fish, etc.) for continued survival or for private use, as in hunting or fishing. |
| 8. | to preserve fruit, vegetables, etc.; make preserves. |
| 9. | to maintain a preserve for game or fish, esp. for sport. |
| 10. | something that preserves. |
| 11. | that which is preserved. |
| 12. | Usually, preserves. fruit, vegetables, etc., prepared by cooking with sugar. |
| 13. | a place set apart for protection and propagation of game or fish, esp. for sport. |

pre·serve (prĭ-zûrv') v. pre·served, pre·serv·ing, pre·serves v. tr.
[Middle English preserven, from Old French preserver, from Medieval Latin praeservāre, from Late Latin, to observe beforehand : Latin prae-, pre- + Latin servāre, to guard, preserve; see ser-1 in Indo-European roots.] pre·serv'a·bil'i·ty n., pre·serv'a·ble adj., pres'er·va'tion (prěz'ər-vā'shən) n., pre·serv'er n. |
preserved
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