The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Preserve \Pre*serve"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Preserved; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Preserving.] [F. pr['e]server, from L. prae before +
   servare to save, preserve; cf. L. praeservare to observe
   beforehand. See Serve.]
   1. To keep or save from injury or destruction; to guard or
      defend from evil, harm, danger, etc.; to protect.
      [1913 Webster]

            O Lord, thou preserved man and beast. --Ps. xxxvi.
                                                  6.
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            Now, good angels preserve the king.   --Shak.
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   2. To save from decay by the use of some preservative
      substance, as sugar, salt, etc.; to season and prepare for
      remaining in a good state, as fruits, meat, etc.; as, to
      preserve peaches or grapes.
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            You can not preserve it from tainting. --Shak.
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   3. To maintain throughout; to keep intact; as, to preserve
      appearances; to preserve silence.
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   To preserve game, to protect it from extermination.
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   Syn: To keep; save; secure; uphold; sustain; defend; spare;
        protect; guard; shield. See Keep.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Preserve \Pre*serve"\, v. i.
   1. To make preserves. --Shak.
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   2. To protect game for purposes of sport.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Preserve \Pre*serve"\, n.
   1. That which is preserved; fruit, etc., seasoned and kept by
      suitable preparation; esp., fruit cooked with sugar; --
      commonly in the plural.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A place in which game, fish, etc., are preserved for
      purposes of sport, or for food.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

preserve
    n 1: a domain that seems to be specially reserved for someone;
         "medicine is no longer a male preserve"
    2: a reservation where animals are protected
    3: fruit preserved by cooking with sugar [syn: conserve,
       preserve, conserves, preserves]
    v 1: keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or
         last; "preserve the peace in the family"; "continue the
         family tradition"; "Carry on the old traditions" [syn:
         continue, uphold, carry on, bear on, preserve]
         [ant: cease, discontinue, give up, lay off, quit,
         stop]
    2: keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or
       destruction; "We preserve these archeological findings"; "The
       old lady could not keep up the building"; "children must be
       taught to conserve our national heritage"; "The museum
       curator conserved the ancient manuscripts" [syn: conserve,
       preserve, maintain, keep up]
    3: to keep up and reserve for personal or special use; "She
       saved the old family photographs in a drawer" [syn: save,
       preserve]
    4: prevent (food) from rotting; "preserved meats"; "keep
       potatoes fresh" [syn: preserve, keep]
    5: maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger; "May God
       keep you" [syn: keep, preserve]
    6: keep undisturbed for personal or private use for hunting,
       shooting, or fishing; "preserve the forest and the lakes"

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

185 Moby Thesaurus words for "preserve":
   Indian reservation, Jell-O, anhydrate, archives, asylum, attend to,
   baby-sit, bank, bird sanctuary, blancmange, blast-freeze,
   bottle up, brine, can, candy, care for, chaperon, cherish, comfit,
   compote, confection, confectionery, confiture, conserve, conserves,
   continue, copyright, cork up, corn, cure, defend, dehydrate,
   desiccate, dry, dry-cure, dry-salt, embalm, eternalize, eternize,
   evaporate, extend, forest preserve, foster, freeze, freeze-dry,
   frosting, fume, game preserve, game reserve, game sanctuary,
   gelatin, glaze, guard, harbor, harbor of refuge, harborage, haven,
   hold, hold back, hold in, honey, husband, icing, immortalize,
   inhibit, irradiate, jam, jelly, jerk, keep, keep alive, keep back,
   keep by one, keep fresh, keep going, keep in, keep in reserve,
   keep in store, keep intact, keep inviolate, keep on hand,
   keep safe, keep up, keep watch over, kipper, lay by, lengthen,
   library, lock in, look after, look out for, look to, maintain,
   marinade, marinate, marmalade, matronize, meringue, mind,
   minister to, monumentalize, mother, mousse, mummify, museum,
   national forest, national park, not destroy, not endanger,
   not expend, not use up, not waste, nurse, nurture, paradise, park,
   patent, perennialize, perpetuate, pickle, port, preservatize,
   preserve from oblivion, preserves, prolong, protect, protege,
   protract, provide for, put apart, put aside, put by, put up,
   quick-freeze, refrigerate, refuge, register, repress, reservation,
   reserve, retain, ride herd on, safe haven, safeguard, safehold,
   salt, sanctuary, save, save up, season, see after, see to,
   set apart, set aside, set by, shelter, shepherd, shield, smoke,
   smoke-cure, snug harbor, spare, state forest, store, stronghold,
   stuff, support, suppress, sustain, sweet, sweet stuff, sweetmeat,
   sweets, take care of, take charge of, tend, tutti-frutti, uphold,
   watch, watch out for, watch over, whipped cream,
   wilderness preserve, wildlife preserve, withhold