To conserve is to save or protect something, like money, or your energy on a long run. People are also encouraged to conserve energy by turning off lights and not cranking the air conditioner.

Conserve is from the Latin for "to keep, preserve, guard" (conservare). Con means "together," so "together" we can "serve" the planet by not doing doughnuts in the wetlands on our jet skis. You can conserve the planet or a little something for yourself — you might conserve hot water so you can wash your hair later, or try to conserve your old bedroom when you go off to college (and your mom is ready for a home office).

Definitions of conserve
  1. verb
    keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction
    “children must be taught to conserve our national heritage”
    “The museum curator conserved the ancient manuscripts”
    synonyms: keep up, maintain, preserve
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    preserve a dead body
    preserve (tissue) with plastics, as for teaching and research purposes
    hold the line
    hold the line on prices; keep the price of something constant
    remove the organs and dry out (a dead body) in order to preserve it
    type of:
    look after; be the keeper of; have charge of
  2. verb
    use cautiously and frugally
    conserve your energy for the ascent to the summit”
    synonyms: economise, economize, husband
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    blow, squander, waste
    spend thoughtlessly; throw away
    spend lavishly or wastefully on
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    tighten one's belt; use resources carefully
    type of:
    preserve, save
    to keep up and reserve for personal or special use
  3. verb
    keep constant through physical or chemical reactions or evolutionary change
    “Energy is conserved in this process”
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    type of:
    hold, keep, maintain
    keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep clean"
  4. verb
    preserve with sugar
    “Mom always conserved the strawberries we grew in the backyard”
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    type of:
    keep, preserve
    prevent (food) from rotting
  5. noun
    fruit preserved by cooking with sugar
    synonyms: conserves, preserve, preserves
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    apple butter
    thick dark spicy puree of apples
    a Chinese preserve of mixed fruits and ginger
    preserve of crushed fruit
    lemon cheese, lemon curd
    a conserve with a thick consistency; made with lemons and butter and eggs and sugar
    a preserve made of the jelled juice of fruit
    a preserve made of the pulp and rind of citrus fruits
    strawberry jam, strawberry preserves
    made with strawberries
    apple jelly
    jelly made from apple juice
    grape jelly
    jelly made from grape juice
    orange marmalade
    marmalade made from oranges
    type of:
    preserved or candied fruit
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