Library / English Dictionary

RESERVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The trait of being uncommunicative; not volunteering anything more than necessary

Synonyms:

reserve; reticence; taciturnity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("reserve" is a kind of...):

uncommunicativeness (the trait of being uncommunicative)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Formality and propriety of manner

Synonyms:

modesty; reserve

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("reserve" is a kind of...):

correctitude; properness; propriety (correct or appropriate behavior)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "reserve"):

demureness (the trait of behaving with reserve and decorum)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Armed forces that are not on active duty but can be called in an emergency

Synonyms:

military reserve; reserve

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("reserve" is a kind of...):

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Meronyms (members of "reserve"):

reservist (a member of a military reserve)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Derivation:

reservist (a member of a military reserve)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A district that is reserved for particular purpose

Synonyms:

reservation; reserve

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("reserve" is a kind of...):

administrative district; administrative division; territorial division (a district defined for administrative purposes)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "reserve"):

Indian reservation (a reservation set aside for the use of Indians)

preserve (a reservation where animals are protected)

Sense 5

Meaning:

An athlete who plays only when a starter on the team is replaced

Synonyms:

reserve; second-stringer; substitute

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("reserve" is a kind of...):

athlete; jock (a person trained to compete in sports)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "reserve"):

bench warmer ((sports) a substitute who seldom plays)

pinch hitter ((baseball) a substitute for the regular batter)

Holonyms ("reserve" is a member of...):

bench (the reserve players on a team)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Something kept back or saved for future use or a special purpose

Synonyms:

backlog; reserve; stockpile

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("reserve" is a kind of...):

accumulation ((finance) profits that are not paid out as dividends but are added to the capital base of the corporation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "reserve"):

bank (a supply or stock held in reserve for future use (especially in emergencies))

fuel level (the amount of fuel remaining)

reserve account; reserve fund (funds taken out of earnings to provide for anticipated future payments)

Derivation:

reserve (give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause)

reserve (hold back or set aside, especially for future use or contingency)

Sense 7

Meaning:

(medicine) potential capacity to respond in order to maintain vital functions

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Hypernyms ("reserve" is a kind of...):

indefinite quantity (an estimated quantity)

Domain category:

medical specialty; medicine (the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "reserve"):

pulmonary reserve (the additional volume of air that the lungs can inhale and exhale when breathing to the limit of capacity in times of stress)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

Example:

She sets aside time for meditation every day

Synonyms:

allow; appropriate; earmark; reserve; set aside

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "reserve" is one way to...):

allot; assign; portion (give out)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

reserve (something kept back or saved for future use or a special purpose)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Obtain or arrange (for oneself) in advance

Example:

We managed to reserve a table at Maxim's

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "reserve" is one way to...):

ask for; bespeak; call for; quest; request (express the need or desire for)

Verb group:

book; hold; reserve (arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "reserve"):

book up (book all available places or tickets)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something

Derivation:

reservation (the act of reserving (a place or passage) or engaging the services of (a person or group))

reservation (something reserved in advance (as a hotel accommodation or a seat on a plane etc.))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Hold back or set aside, especially for future use or contingency

Example:

they held back their applause in anticipation

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "reserve" is one way to...):

keep back; withhold (hold back; refuse to hand over or share)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "reserve"):

devote (set aside or apart for a specific purpose or use)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

reservation (the act of keeping back or setting aside for some future occasion)

reserve (something kept back or saved for future use or a special purpose)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance

Example:

please hold a table at Maxim's

Synonyms:

book; hold; reserve

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "reserve" is one way to...):

ask for; bespeak; call for; quest; request (express the need or desire for)

"Reserve" entails doing...:

procure; secure (get by special effort)

Verb group:

reserve (obtain or arrange (for oneself) in advance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "reserve"):

hold open; keep; keep open; save (retain rights to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

reservation (the act of reserving (a place or passage) or engaging the services of (a person or group))

reservation (something reserved in advance (as a hotel accommodation or a seat on a plane etc.))

Credits

 Context examples: 

The particulars I reserve till we meet; it is enough to know they are discovered.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Reserve on such a point would be not only useless, but draw down treble misery on us all.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The method is considered more dangerous than intravenous administration and should be reserved to experts.

(Intraarterial Route of Administration, NCI Thesaurus)

"One theory is that you have more energy reserves to combat the illness. You're able to weather the storm better," he said.

(Mildly Obese Fare Better after Major Heart Attack, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

I have reserved beds at the George for both of us.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

They did feel it, yet neither spoke of it, for often between ourselves and those nearest and dearest to us there exists a reserve which it is very hard to overcome.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The E. carotovora-derived form of asparaginase is typically reserved for cases of asparaginase hypersensitivity.

(Asparaginase, NCI Thesaurus)

All day he effaced himself in the store, reserving for the evening, with his family, the privilege of being himself.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

"How do we design wildlife reserves? Do we make many small ones, or fewer big ones, or do we make corridors?"

(Forest fragmentation hits wildlife hardest in the tropics, National Science Foundation)

The eighth house is the place in the chart that represents money you need to fund a big dream, and it is typically money beyond what most people have in reserve.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)