conserve
part of speech
verb (conserve, conserves, conserved, conserving); noun (a conserve, conserves — formal or old-fashioned for jam)
meaning for a pupil
1) To save something so it is not wasted or used up, such as water, energy or money. tree →
2) To protect something, such as nature, wildlife or old buildings, so that it stays in good condition. tree →
3) (science) In physics, energy is «conserved»: it is never made or destroyed, only changed from one form to another. tree →
4) (noun, formal) Jam made with large pieces of fruit, as in «strawberry conserve». tree →
sense in the lessons
In science and geography it is about saving energy, water and habitats; «conservation» is the noun for protecting nature. In everyday life adults say «conserve energy» about switching off lights. In PE or a long race you «conserve your energy» by not running too fast at the start. Phrases: «conserve water», «conserve energy», «conserve resources».
examples
- Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth to conserve water. tree →
- We conserve electricity by switching off lights when we leave a room. tree →
- The runner conserved her energy for the last lap. tree →
- Rangers work to conserve the rainforest and its animals. tree →
- In a closed system, energy is conserved. tree →
- Gran spread apricot conserve on her scones. tree →
- The town is trying to conserve its old castle walls. tree →
note
Regular verb: conserved, conserving. Nouns: «conservation» (protecting things), «conservationist» (a person who does it). Not the same as «conservative» (wanting to keep old ways; also a political party) or «conservatory» (a glass room on a house).
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «conserve» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.