preserve
preserve — verb
1. to take action so that something stays in its current good state and does not ge
to take action so that something stays in its current good state and does not get damaged, destroyed, or lost — for example, preserving an old building, a natural forest, or a peaceful relationship between two groups.
The organization works hard to preserve ancient forests for future generations.
preserve + natural features (forests, environment)
Ryan always preserved his father's fishing tools as a way of honoring his memory.
The old documents were carefully preserved in a room with climate control at the museum.
Diplomats from both sides tried hard to preserve the peace during the talks.
Hugo managed to preserve his sense of humor even in very stressful situations.
文法句型
preserve + object
用法筆記
Frequently used with objects that are valuable, historic, or at risk — such as buildings, traditions, the environment, peace, and health. Common in passive constructions with 'carefully' or 'well'.
常見錯誤
2. to treat food using a method such as salting, drying, canning, or freezing so th
to treat food using a method such as salting, drying, canning, or freezing so that it does not rot and can be eaten much later.
Mert's grandmother preserved tomatoes by putting them in glass jars every summer.
preserve + by + method (bottling, canning)
Before fridges existed, people preserved meat by salting and smoking it.
collocation: preserve + meat/fish by salting/smoking
The factory preserves fish by freezing it as soon as it comes off the boat.
Yuna preserved the extra chilies by drying them in the sun for several days.
- rot
to decay naturally when not preserved
文法句型
preserve + food + by + method
用法筆記
The object is always a type of food that spoils naturally. The method of preservation (by + gerund or by + noun) is often stated explicitly. This sense does NOT refer to short-term refrigeration of leftovers.
常見錯誤
preserve — noun
1. a sweet, thick food made by cooking fruit with sugar until the mixture becomes s
a sweet, thick food made by cooking fruit with sugar until the mixture becomes soft and sticky, often eaten on bread or used in baking.
Cyrus spread apricot preserve on his toast and ate it with a cup of tea.
This homemade strawberry preserve tastes much fresher than the kind you buy in shops.
uncountable: strawberry preserve
The market stall sells several types of fruit preserve, including fig and plum.
My aunt's cherry preserve won first prize at the county fair last autumn.
文法句型
countable: a preserve / preserves
uncountable: preserve
用法筆記
Often used interchangeably with 'jam' in everyday speech, though technically preserves contain larger pieces of fruit or whole fruit, while jam is more evenly mashed.
2. an activity, job, or area of knowledge that is thought to belong only to a parti
an activity, job, or area of knowledge that is thought to belong only to a particular person or group, and is not normally done by others.
Oil painting was once the preserve of the very rich who could afford the materials.
pattern: the preserve of [group]
In many modern homes, cooking is no longer seen as the preserve of women.
Deep-sea exploration used to be the preserve of government research agencies alone.
The local tennis club had become the preserve of retired business owners.
文法句型
the preserve of + [someone]
用法筆記
Always appears in the singular and is almost always followed by 'of + someone'. Carries a suggestion of exclusivity that the speaker may view as outdated, unfair, or simply traditional.
常見錯誤
3. an area of land or water where animals, plants, or natural resources are officia
an area of land or water where animals, plants, or natural resources are officially protected from hunting, development, or other human damage.
The wildlife preserve covers over ten thousand acres of grassland and forest.
compound: wildlife preserve
Visitors to the nature preserve must keep their dogs on a leash at all times.
The government created a marine preserve to protect the coral reefs from fishing boats.
Astrid and her classmates went on a field trip to a bird preserve near the coast.
- reserve
very similar meaning; the main term in British English for protected natural areas
- sanctuary
focuses on protecting animals specifically, often from hunting
- conservation area
a broader term for any area protected for environmental reasons
文法句型
a [type] preserve
the [name] preserve
用法筆記
Often paired with a preceding noun: 'wildlife preserve', 'nature preserve', 'game preserve', 'marine preserve'. In American English especially, 'preserve' and 'reserve' are used in similar ways for protected areas.