word-vault
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A lightweight JavaScript package for English word definitions and collections.
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{
"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’."
}