▪ I. conserve, n.
(kənˈsɜːv)
[a. F. conserve = It., Sp., med.L. conserva, f. conservāre, F. conserver to preserve: see next.]
† 1. A preserving agent, a preservative. Obs.
| 1393 Gower Conf. III. 86 The firste [science] which is the conserve And keper of the remenaunt. 1503 Hawes Examp. Virt. vii. 145, I nature..am..The fonteyne of his vaynes inferyall To him conserue moost dere and specyall. 1553 T. Watson in Crowley Soph. Dr. Watson i. (1569) 95 A conserue or a thing that preserueth our bodyes to the immortalitie of eternall life. 1590 Greene Never too late (1600) 76 A conserue against such lawlesse concupiscence. |
† 2. A conservatory for plants. Obs.
| 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1729) 21 Set the Pots..into your Conserve. 1664 ― Sylva (1776) 368 Trees..that were carried into the Conserve. |
† 3. A preserve, a store, a hoard. Obs.
| 1586 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1589) 65 Within us..we shall finde there a heape and conserve of many, divers and different evils. 1651 Cleveland Poems 3 Next to those sweets her lips dispence, As Twin-conserves of Eloquence. |
4. A medicinal or confectionary preparation of some part of a plant (as the flowers, leaves, roots, fruit) preserved with sugar. (Formerly conserva.)
| 1530 Palsgr. 208/1 Conserve made of floures or frute, conserue. 1562 Turner Herbal ii. 35 b, The conserue..of Rosmari is good for them that swoun, and are week harted. 1620 Venner Via Recta vii. 149 The Conserue of Red Roses comforteth the heart and liuer. 1789 W. Buchan Dom. Med. (1790) 185 The bark..may be made into an electuary, with the conserve of roses. 1854 S. Thomson Wild Fl. iii. (ed. 4) 303 The heps [of the Dog-rose] are used for a conserve. |
b. pl. Confections, ‘preserves’.
| 1555 Eden Decades 238 They make muche Ginger in conserues with sugar. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. Induct. ii. 3 Wilt please your Honor taste of these Conserues? 1648 Gage West Ind. (1655) 25 A table ready furnished with boxes of Conserves. 1779–81 Johnson L.P., Pope Wks. IV. 92 Amused himself with biscuits and dry Conserves. 1883 A. Dobson Old World Idylls 16 She was renowned, traditions say, For June conserves, for curds and whey. |
▪ II. conserve, v.
(kənˈsɜːv)
[a. F. conserve-r:—L. conservāre to preserve, f. con- + servāre to keep, preserve. In some senses our word may be directly taken from the Latin.
In ME. and early mod.Eng. a more common word than preserve, by which it was, however, almost superseded early in the 18th c.; it has again become prevalent in the 19th c., app. under the influence of the cognate conservative, conservation, etc., by which its sense is often coloured.]
1. To keep in safety, or from harm, decay, or loss; to preserve with care; now usually, to preserve in its existing state from destruction or change.
| c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame ii. 224 Euery kyndely thynge that is Hath a kyndely stede, ther he May best in hyt conserved be. 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 68 The frensshe men..made..their prayers deuoutly that he wolde conserue that day Olyuer. 1566 Abp. Parker in Gutch Coll. Cur. II. 275 The said Plate..safely to be conserv'd in your Treasury. 1614 W. Barclay Nepenthes in Spalding Club Misc. I. 257 A boxe to conserue my Tobacco, and a pipe to vse it. 1658 Evelyn Fr. Gard. (1675) 195 You must draw them out of the ground before the frost, and conserve them in a warm place. 1670–98 R. Lassels Voy. Italy II. 38, I saw many cupboards where the manuscripts are conserved. 1704 Hearne Duct. Hist. (ed. 3) I. 400 Colleges of Priests who..conserved knowledge among them with such Secrecy and Care, that, etc. 1861 Ecclesiologist XXIII. 303 One ancient lancet window has been carefully conserved. |
b. of conditions, institutions, privileges, etc.
| c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1471 My maydenhode thou kepe and wel conserve. c 1386 ― Melib. ¶671 That youre good name be alway kept and conserved. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. v. 37 Peace cannot be conserved on both sides. 1640 Bp. Hall Episc. i. iii. 12 They greatly desired to conserve the government of Bishops. 1657 Cromwell Sp. 21 Apr. (Carlyle), That which will conserve the liberties of every man. 1722 J. Macky Journ. thro' Eng. I. 143 Their Mayor..takes an Oath to observe and conserve the Privileges of the University. 1850 Kingsley Alt. Locke Pref. (1874) 15 If this Conservative Reaction is at hand, what things is it likely to conserve; and still more, what ought it to conserve? 1865 Sat. Rev. 11 Mar. 279/2 Measures which, while removing its undeniable blots, should conserve the good of the old system. |
c. of properties: To preserve unimpaired.
| 1577 J. Northbrooke Dicing (1843) 11 The vessel will conserue the tast Of lycour very long. 1704 Newton Optics (J.), They will be able to conserve their properties unchanged in passing through several mediums. 1794 Sullivan View Nat. II. 411 Whose heat is conserved by the greatness of their bodies. 1874 Grove Corr. Phys. Forces (ed. 6) 68 Thus force, or energy is not ‘conserved’ but is in gradual progress of neutralisation. 1875 E. White Life in Christ i. iii. (1878) 23 Death is followed by the speedy dissipation of the combined elements which formed the organism. The forces are conserved in other forms. |
d. Const. to a person, in a state (or with compl.), from injury, etc.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv. 1665 And whil þat god my wit wol me conserue, I shal so don. c 1450 Henryson Mor. Fab. 45 Mee to conserue then from the Sunnes heat. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 953 Thay swoir on thair swordis swyftlie all thre, And conseruit thame freindis to thair lyfis end. 1485 Caxton St. Wenefr. 1 To conserue and kepe my virgynyte vndefowled. 1538 Starkey England ii. ii. 179 Kept and conservyd contynually in helth. 1567 Jewel Def. Apol. (1611) 572 To conserue the rest of the body whole from your pestiferous contagion. 1590 Sir J. Smyth Disc. Weapons 19 b, Rubbing their Bowes with a verie little thereof..it did conserve them in all perfection against all weather. 1642 Jer. Taylor Episc. (1647) 3 Catholic religion was conserved in Vnity, and integrity. 1694 tr. Milton's Lett. State (10 Aug. 1649), That you will..conserve inviolable to the Merchants of our Nation their Privileges. |
† 2. To preserve or maintain in being or continuous existence; to keep alive or flourishing. Obs.
| 1413 Lydg. Pilgr. Sowle iv. xxvii. (1483) 72 The sowle hath power vegetatif and generatif for to conseruen his kynde and multyplyen. 1557 N. T. (Genev.) Epist., We are all susteined and conserued by his vertue that dwelleth in vs. 1670–98 R. Lassels Voy. Italy I. 53 The House of Savoy..came..in the year of Christ 636, and hath conserved itself ever since. |
† 3. To keep (a commandment, counsel), observe (a custom or rite). Obs.
| 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. cxii, Se that thou hir hestis well conserve. 1558 T. Watson Seven Sacraments viii. 45 The holy Sacrament it self is kept and Conserued in his due honour. 1641 Brome Joviall Crew ii. Wks. 1873 III. 380 My Master..conserv'd my Counsel. |
† 4. To make a substance into a conserve; to preserve in sugar or by similar means. Obs.
| 1552 Huloet, Conseruise, or any thynge whyche is condite, or conserued, as grapes, barberies, fygges, etc. 1600 Surflet Countrie Farme ii. li. 349 By the word conserue or conserued, is to be vnderstood that manner of ordring things, whereby they are stamped, and beaten very small. 1604 Shakes. Oth. iii. iv. 75 That Handkerchiefe..was dyde in Mummey, which the Skilfull Conseru'd of Maiden's hearts [Qq. with the skilful conserves or conserve]. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. (1677) 133 (T.) Dates, pears, and peaches, curiously conserved. 1755–73 Johnson, Conserve, to candy or pickle fruit. |