From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishconservecon‧serve1 /kənˈsɜːv $ -ɜːrv/ ●○○ verb [transitive] 1 PROTECTto protect something and prevent it from changing or being damaged SYN preserve, → conservation We must conserve our woodlands for future generations. efforts to conserve fish stocks2 SGESAVE something TO USE LATERto use as little water, energy etc as possible so that it is not wasted → conservation the need to conserve energy→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
conserve• The structure makes clear why certain residues are highly conserved.• A great deal of money has been spent conserving a block of less-than-distinguished Victorian slums and warehouses.• Sleep is also a time when some animals purposely conserve energy because it would be wasteful not to do so.• To be frivolous, laps are not conserved, for where does your lap go when you stand up?• Recycling helps conserve natural and often limited resources.• It is axiomatic that traditional agricultural management of the uplands has maintained and conserved these landscapes and their wildlife.• Conclusion Data archiving is essential to conserve very expensive resources.• As expected, rural residents will value and conserve water if they pay for it.• As a way of conserving water, people were not allowed to use hosepipes or wash their cars.• Everyone needs to make efforts to conserve water.• Try and rest frequently to conserve your energy.conservecon‧serve2 /ˈkɒnsɜːv $ ˈkɑːnsɜːrv/ noun [countable, uncountable] formal DFfruit that is preserved by being cooked with sugar SYN jam strawberry conserveExamples from the Corpus
conserve• From them, mixed with redcurrants and blackcurrants, Victorine produced a notable conserve.Origin conserve1 (1300-1400) Old French conserver, from Latin conservare, from com- ( → COM-) + servare “to keep, guard” 