preserves
preserves — verb
- preservespresent simple I / you / we / they
- preserveses3rd person singular
- preservesing-ing form
- preservesedpast simple
1. to keep something in its original state or good condition, protecting it from ha
to keep something in its original state or good condition, protecting it from harm, damage, or decay — for instance, preserving an old photograph by storing it in a dark, dry place, or preserving a historic building by repairing its roof and walls.
Nia keeps her grandmother's letters in a special box to preserve them for many years.
preserve + object + for [duration]
The city council passed new laws to preserve the historic buildings in the old quarter.
preserve + historic buildings / heritage
Ancient scrolls were preserved in desert caves for over a thousand years.
Regular oiling helps preserve the wooden floor's original shine and colour.
Liang stores family photos in albums so his children can preserve them for later generations.
文法句型
preserve + object
be preserved + in/for [time/place]
用法筆記
Frequently used in passive constructions, especially with in or for to specify a location or duration. The object is typically something valuable, fragile, or historically significant — buildings, documents, traditions, memories, or natural environments.
常見錯誤
2. to process food by canning, pickling, salting, or adding sugar so that it remain
to process food by canning, pickling, salting, or adding sugar so that it remains fresh and edible many months later — for instance, turning cucumbers into pickles by soaking them in vinegar, or cooking strawberries with sugar to make jam.
Every autumn, Kasia's grandmother preserves jars of tomatoes from the garden.
preserve + object + in [container]
In many coastal villages, people preserve fish by salting or smoking it.
preserve + object + by [method]
The market sells honey that has been preserved in sealed jars for years.
Eli learned how to preserve lemons from his aunt, who runs a small kitchen business.
Without a refrigerator, you need to preserve fresh meat quickly before it goes bad.
- spoil
to go bad or decay (of food)
文法句型
preserve + object + in/by
preserve + object + for [duration]
用法筆記
The method of preservation is typically stated with by (e.g. by salting, by pickling) or implied by the container or context (jars, cans, sealed). The verb is less common in modern everyday speech for home cooking; it is more frequent in food-industry or traditional-preparation contexts.
常見錯誤
preserves — noun
- preservessingular
- preservesesplural
1. a sweet, thick food made by cooking fruit or vegetables with sugar until the mix
a sweet, thick food made by cooking fruit or vegetables with sugar until the mixture becomes a spreadable sauce, eaten on bread, toast, or with other foods.
Tuan spread strawberry preserves on his toast for breakfast every morning.
collocation: spread + preserves
The shop sells homemade apricot preserves made from fruit grown in local orchards.
homemade + [fruit] + preserves
Nia likes to eat plain yogurt with a spoonful of cherry preserves stirred into it.
A jar of fig preserves makes a lovely gift for any cooking enthusiast.
The children spread orange preserves thickly on their scones during afternoon tea.
文法句型
a jar/tub of preserves
[fruit] preserves
用法筆記
Used as both a countable plural noun (these preserves taste great) and an uncountable mass noun (a jar of preserves). The singular form preserve also exists but is less common. Preserves differ from jam in that they contain larger pieces of fruit, and from jelly in that they include fruit solids.
2. an activity, role, or area of interest that is considered to belong to a particu
an activity, role, or area of interest that is considered to belong to a particular person or group, and is not normally shared with others outside that group.
Writing poetry was once the preserve of the wealthy and well-educated classes.
the preserve of [group]
Higher education was once the preserve of men across much of the world.
The ancient technique of glassblowing is now the preserve of a few skilled artisans.
Football is no longer a male preserve — women's professional teams are growing fast worldwide.
文法句型
the preserve of + [person/group]
[possession] preserve
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed pattern the preserve of followed by a noun phrase. The frame signals exclusivity: something metaphorically 'reserved' for a particular kind of person or institution. Frequently used to discuss social change (was the preserve of ... is now open to).
常見錯誤
3. an area of land set aside for the protection of wildlife, plants, or natural res
an area of land set aside for the protection of wildlife, plants, or natural resources, where human activity is limited so that nature can thrive undisturbed.
The wildlife preserve covers over five thousand acres of untouched forest.
wildlife preserve
Visitors to the nature preserve must stay on marked paths to avoid disturbing the animals.
nature preserve
Salma volunteers at a bird preserve where rare species are protected from hunters.
The government turned the coastal wetlands into a marine preserve to save the local fish.
文法句型
[adjective] preserve
[type] preserve
用法筆記
More common in American English; in British English, reserve or nature reserve is more typical. Like other area nouns, it combines with a preceding modifier that specifies the type of protection: wildlife preserve, nature preserve, game preserve, marine preserve.