conserve

/kən-ˈsərv/

Middle English conserven "to maintain in good condition, preserve, protect, keep," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French conserver "to preserve" (also continental Middle French), borrowed from Latin conservāre "to save or keep from danger, preserve, keep unchanged," from con- com-servāre "to watch over, guard, keep, observe (a law, custom), maintain in existence, preserve," probably derivative of an abstract noun *seru̯om or *seru̯ā "observation, guarding," formed from the Indo-European verbal base *ser- "keep watch on, guard" and a nominal suffix *-u̯o-

verb

  1. to keep in a safe or sound state; especially : to avoid wasteful or destructive use of

  2. to preserve with sugar

  3. to maintain (a quantity) constant during a process of chemical, physical, or evolutionary change

He conserved his inheritance.

noun

  1. sweetmeat; especially : a candied fruit

  2. preserve; specifically : one prepared from a mixture of fruits