Reserve - to keep something for a particular purpose
or time:
I reserve
Mondays for tidying my desk and answering letters.
These seats
are reserved for the elderly and women with babies.
I reserve
judgment on this issue (= I won �t give an opinion on it now) until we have more
information.
If you
reserve something such as a seat on an aircraft or a table at a restaurant, you
arrange for it to be kept for your use:
I reserved
a double room at the Lamb Hotel.
[ + two
objects ] If you get there early, reserve me a seat/reserve a seat for me.
Conserve = to keep and protect something from damage,
change, or waste:
To conserve
electricity, we are cutting down on our heating.
The
nationalists are very eager to conserve their customs and language.
I �m not
being lazy - I �m just conserving my energy/strength for later.
Preserve - to
keep something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from decaying or
being damaged or destroyed:
to preserve
the environment
We want to
preserve the character of the town while improving the facilities.
The
agreement preserved our right to limit trade in endangered species.
Putting
varnish on wood is a way of preserving it.
I need to
get out of the house from time to time just to preserve (= prevent me from
losing) my sanity.
well preserved - to treat food in a particular way so that it
can be kept for a long time without going bad:
preserved
fruit
oranges
preserved in brandy
More
examples
It �s our
duty to preserve the planet for future generations.
The
Forestry Commission is responsible for preserving over 2 million acres of
woodland.
The remains
of the Roman fort are well preserved.
Every
attempt is being made to ensure that these works of art are preserved for
posterity.
He has a
collection of prehistoric insects preserved in amber.