Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
PRESERVE
I. verb (preserved; preserving) see: conserve
Date: 14th century
transitive verb to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction ; protect ,
2. to keep alive, intact, or free from decay, maintain ,
3. to keep or save from decomposition, to can, pickle, or similarly prepare for future use, to keep up and reserve for personal or special use, intransitive verb to make preserves, to raise and protect game for purposes of sport, to be able to be preserved (as by canning), preservability noun preservable adjective preservation noun preserver noun
II. noun
Date: 1600
fruit canned or made into jams or jellies or cooked whole or in large pieces in a syrup so as to keep its shape, an area restricted for the protection and preservation of natural resources (as animals or plants) , something regarded as reserved for certain persons