con·serve

[v. kuhn-surv; n. kon-surv, kuhn-surv] verb, con·served, con·serv·ing, noun
verb (used with object)
1.
to prevent injury, decay, waste, or loss of: Conserve your strength for the race.
2.
to use or manage (natural resources) wisely; preserve; save: Conserve the woodlands.
3.
Physics, Chemistry. to hold (a property) constant during an interaction or process: the interaction conserved linear momentum.
4.
to preserve (fruit) by cooking with sugar or syrup.
noun
5.
Often, conserves. a mixture of several fruits cooked to jamlike consistency with sugar and often garnished with nuts and raisins.
00:10
Conserve is one of our favorite verbs.
So is fletcherise. Does it mean:
to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly.
to spend time idly; loaf.

Origin:
1325–75; (v.) Middle English < Latin conservāre to save, preserve, equivalent to con- con- + servāre to watch over, guard (akin to servus slave, servīre to serve); (noun) Middle English < Middle French conserve, noun derivative of conserver < Latin, as above

con·serv·er, noun
non·con·serv·ing, adjective, noun
self-con·serv·ing, adjective
un·con·served, adjective
un·con·serv·ing, adjective
well-con·served, adjective


2. husband, safeguard.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
conserve
 
vb
1.  to keep or protect from harm, decay, loss, etc
2.  to preserve (a foodstuff, esp fruit) with sugar
 
n
3.  a preparation of fruit in sugar, similar to jam but usually containing whole pieces of fruit
 
[(vb) C14: from Latin conservāre to keep safe, from servāre to save, protect; (n) C14: from Medieval Latin conserva, from Latin conservāre]
 
con'servable
 
adj
 
con'server
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

conserve
late 14c., from O.Fr. conserver, from L. conservare "to keep, preserve," from com- intens. prefix + servare "keep watch, maintain" (see observe).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Recycling used oil is becoming the preferred way of handling used oil to protect the environment and conserve natural resources.
Its uses the law of conservation to conserve and increase the cooling effect of our polar regions.
Learn what you can do to conserve resources and protect the planet.
Learn about the important research being carried out to conserve and protect
  island habitats around the world.
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