Reserve

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈzɝv/

Definitions

1. To keep something back for future use or to formally arrange for something to be available at a specific time
2. To retain or set aside something for later usage or to officially arrange for a service or item to be held for an individual at a designated time
3. To hold back from immediate use for later needs or to secure arrangements in advance for availability at a particular moment

Etymology: Latin "reservare" was built from "re-" (back, again) and "servare" (to keep, save, guard), so the core idea is keeping something back rather than letting it go. The Latin verb "reservō" meant to reserve or retain, and it passed into Old French as "reserver" before reaching English. The sense of holding something aside for a particular person or purpose, as when you book a table or a seat, grows naturally out of that original act of setting something back and guarding it. The same Latin root "servare" lies behind "serve," "conserve," and "preserve," which shows how a single idea of keeping safe spread across many English words. Its close cousin "reservoir" comes from the same family, since a reservoir is simply a place where water is kept back.

Synonyms: save, store, retain, hold, keep

Antonyms: spend, waste, deplete, expend, use up