reserves

re·serve  (r-zûrv)

tr.v. re·served, re·serv·ing, re·serves

1. To keep back, as for future use or for a special purpose.

2. To set or cause to be set apart for a particular person or use. See Synonyms at book.

3. To keep or secure for oneself; retain: I reserve the right to disagree. See Synonyms at keep.

n.

1. Something kept back or saved for future use or a special purpose.

2. The act of reserving.

3. The keeping of one's feelings, thoughts, or affairs to oneself.

4. Self-restraint in expression; reticence: "One feels it everywhere, a quality of reserve, something held back" (Rollene W. Saal).

5. Lack of enthusiasm; skeptical caution.

6. An amount of capital held back from investment in order to meet probable or possible demands.

7. A reservation of public land: a forest reserve.

8. An amount of a mineral, fossil fuel, or other resource known to exist in a particular location and to be exploitable: the discovery of large oil reserves.

9.

a. A fighting force kept uncommitted until strategic need arises. Often used in the plural.

b. The part of a country's armed forces not on active duty but subject to call in an emergency.

adj.

Held in or forming a reserve: a reserve supply of food.

Idiom:

in reserve

Kept back, set aside, or saved.

---

[Middle English reserven, from Old French reserver, from Latin reservre, to keep back : re-, re- + servre, to keep; see ser-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

---

re·serva·ble adj.

re·server n.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

reserves - civilians trained as soldiers but not part of the regular army militia military force, military group, military unit, force - a unit that is part of some military service; "he sent Caesar a force of six thousand men" armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker" SA, Storm Troops, Sturmabteilung - Nazi militia created by Hitler in 1921 that helped him to power but was eclipsed by the SS after 1943 trainband - a company of militia in England or America from the 16th century to the 18th century territorial reserve, territorial - a territorial military unit militiaman - a member of the militia; serves only during emergencies