preserve
/pɹəˈzɝv/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.19 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
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.
verb
To maintain throughout; to keep intact.
Example Sentences
- "Suppose Shakespeare had been knocked on the head some dark night in Sir Thomas Lucy's preserves, the world would have wagged on better or worse, the pitcher gone to the well, the scythe to the corn, and the student to his book; and no one been any the wiser of the loss."
- "Kids regard their tree houses as their own preserve."
- "No one can argue with that—neither the Army Commander nor Zhilinsky nor even the Grand Duke. That is the Emperor’s preserve. The Emperor says France must be saved. We can only do his bidding."
- "The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them, which is then licensed to related businesses in high-tax countries, is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies."
- "Let's pray that we'd be preserved from danger."
- "Every people has the right to preserve its identity and culture."
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /pɹəˈzɝv/
- British English: /pɹəˈzɜːv/