preservative

[ pri-zur-vuh-tiv ]
See synonyms for preservative on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. something that preserves or tends to preserve.

  2. a chemical substance used to preserve foods or other organic materials from decomposition or fermentation.

adjective
  1. tending to preserve.

Origin of preservative

1
1350–1400; Middle English (adj. and noun) <Middle French preservatif (adj.) <Medieval Latin praeservātīvus.See preserve, -ative

Other words from preservative

  • non·pre·serv·a·tive, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use preservative in a sentence

  • Many new preservatives are being proposed or marketed each year by various companies or individuals.

    Our National Forests | Richard H. Douai Boerker
  • Their bodies were burned, and the ashes sold by the priests at high sums, as preservatives against disease.

  • The same preservatives should be looked for as in fresh and smoked meat and the same test made for each.

British Dictionary definitions for preservative

preservative

/ (prɪˈzɜːvətɪv) /


noun
  1. something that preserves or tends to preserve, esp a chemical added to foods to inhibit decomposition

adjective
  1. tending or intended to preserve

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012