conserving

con·serve  (kn-sûrv)

v. con·served, con·serv·ing, con·serves

v.tr.

1.

a. To protect from loss or harm; preserve: calls to conserve our national heritage in the face of bewildering change.

b. To use carefully or sparingly, avoiding waste: kept the thermostat lower to conserve energy.

2. To keep (a quantity) constant through physical or chemical reactions or evolutionary changes.

3. To preserve (fruits) with sugar.

v.intr.

To economize: tried to conserve on fuel during the long winter.

n. (knsûrv)

A jam made of fruits stewed in sugar.

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[Middle English conserven, from Old French conserver, from Latin cnservre : com-, intensive pref.; see com- + servre, to preserve; see ser-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

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con·serva·ble adj.

con·server n.