0 to keep something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from decaying or being damaged or destroyed:
1 a food made from fruit or vegetables boiled with sugar and water until it becomes a firm sauce:
2 an activity that only one person or a particular type of person does or is responsible for:
Sport used to be a male preserve.
Owning racehorses is the preserve of the rich.
3 a reserve
4 to keep something as it is, esp. in order to prevent it from decaying or to protect it from being damaged or destroyed:
5 an activity that only one person or a particular type of person does or is responsible for:
He has a collection of prehistoric insects preserved in amber.
Every attempt is being made to ensure that these works of art are preserved for posterity.
The Forestry Commission is responsible for preserving over 2 million acres of woodland.
It's our duty to preserve the planet for future generations.