{
    "term": "preserve",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "preserve",
            "heSheIt": "preserves"
        },
        "pastSimple": "preserved",
        "pastParticiple": "preserved",
        "ingForm": "preserving"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to keep a particular quality, feature, etc.; to make sure that something is kept",
            "sensetop": "preserve something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He was anxious to preserve his reputation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Efforts to preserve the peace have failed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She managed to preserve her sense of humour under very trying circumstances."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was insistent on preserving the integrity of the brand."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The Act contained provisions designed to preserve the status quo."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She was determined to preserve her independence and way of life."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The style of the original film is preserved perfectly."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We were anxious to preserve the character of the house."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["carefully", "faithfully", "lovingly"],
                "verb + preserve": ["seek to", "try to", "be anxious to"],
                "preposition": ["as", "for", "from"],
                "phrases": [
                    "an attempt to preserve something",
                    "beautifully, exquisitely, well, wonderfully, etc. preserved",
                    "be preserved intact"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to keep something in its original state in good condition",
            "sensetop": "preserve something/somebodypreserve something + adj.",
            "labels": "(humorous)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a perfectly preserved 14th-century house",
                    "contextForm": "preserve something/somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Is he really 60? He's remarkably **well preserved**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We need knowledgeable gallery curators to **preserve** great masterpieces **for posterity**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This vase has been preserved intact.",
                    "contextForm": "preserve something + adj."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She carefully preserved all his letters."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The collection has been sold to the British Museum where it will be preserved for the nation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The prison is preserved as a tourist attraction."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They were thrilled to discover a beautifully preserved specimen of Roman pottery."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You need to say why the building is worth preserving."
                },
                {
                    "text": "campaigners fighting to preserve a historic building"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The National Trust preserves the house and its grounds."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Three miles away is a perfectly preserved stretch of Roman road."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The iron coins are poorly preserved and have rusted."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Buildings"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["carefully", "faithfully", "lovingly"],
                "verb + preserve": ["seek to", "try to", "be anxious to"],
                "preposition": ["as", "for", "from"],
                "phrases": [
                    "an attempt to preserve something",
                    "beautifully, exquisitely, well, wonderfully, etc. preserved",
                    "be preserved intact"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to prevent something, especially food, from decaying (= being destroyed by natural processes) by treating it in a particular way",
            "sensetop": "preserve somethingpreserve something in somethingpreserve something from something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Wax polish preserves wood and leather.",
                    "contextForm": "preserve something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "preserved lemons"
                },
                {
                    "text": "olives preserved in brine",
                    "contextForm": "preserve something in something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "an attempt to preserve the corpse from decomposition",
                    "contextForm": "preserve something from something"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["carefully", "faithfully", "lovingly"],
                "verb + preserve": ["seek to", "try to", "be anxious to"],
                "preposition": ["as", "for", "from"],
                "phrases": [
                    "an attempt to preserve something",
                    "beautifully, exquisitely, well, wonderfully, etc. preserved",
                    "be preserved intact"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to keep somebody/something alive, or safe from harm or danger",
            "sensetop": "preserve somebody/something (from something)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The society was set up to preserve endangered species from extinction."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We need to take action to help preserve fish stocks."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She wanted to preserve him from harassment."
                },
                {
                    "text": "To preserve life should always be the goal."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "save"
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/prɪˈzɜːv/",
                "audio": "pr/preserve/preserve__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/prɪˈzɜːvz/",
                "audio": "pr/preserve/preserves__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/prɪˈzɜːvd/",
                "audio": "pr/preserve/preserved__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/prɪˈzɜːvɪŋ/",
                "audio": "pr/preserve/preserving__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/prɪˈzɜːrv/",
                "audio": "pr/preserve/preserve__us_4.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/prɪˈzɜːrvz/",
                "audio": "pr/preserve/preserves__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/prɪˈzɜːrvd/",
                "audio": "pr/preserve/preserved__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/prɪˈzɜːrvɪŋ/",
                "audio": "pr/preserve/preserving__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English (in the sense ‘keep safe from harm’): from Old French preserver, from late Latin praeservare, from prae- ‘before, in advance’ + servare ‘to keep’."
}