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reserve

As a noun, reserve refers to the quality of a shy or modest person who doesn’t easily express his or her feelings. As a verb, to reserve is to stash something away or to set it aside for future use.

Reserve can also refer to backup supplies or resources. If a military is running out of ammunition or food, they may have to dig into the reserve to replenish their supplies. Reserve is also used as a verb to mean "obtain in advance." If you’re expecting a big crowd at your sister's dance recital, you might show up early to reserve seats for your family members. You could also reserve a table at a restaurant for dinner after the show.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: reserve

1
 vn
hold back or set aside, especially for future use or contingency
something kept back or saved for future use or a special purpose
2
 n
formality and propriety of manner
3
 n
(medicine) potential capacity to respond in order to maintain vital functions
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: reserve
1

v hold back or set aside, especially for future use or contingency

Types:
devote
set aside or apart for a specific purpose or use
Type of:
keep back, withhold
hold back; refuse to hand over or share

v give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

Synonyms:
allow, appropriate, earmark, set aside
Type of:
allot, assign, portion
give out

v arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance

“reserve me a seat on a flight”
Synonyms:
book, hold
Types:
hold open, keep, keep open, save
retain rights to
Type of:
bespeak, call for, quest, request
express the need or desire for; ask for

v obtain or arrange (for oneself) in advance

“We managed to reserve a table at Maxim's”
Synonyms
book, hold
arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance
Types:
book up
book all available places or tickets
Type of:
bespeak, call for, quest, request
express the need or desire for; ask for

n something kept back or saved for future use or a special purpose

Synonyms:
backlog, stockpile
Types:
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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
blood bank
a place for storing whole blood or blood plasma
eye bank
a place for storing and preserving corneas that are obtained from human corpses immediately after death; used for corneal transplantation to patients with corneal defects
food bank
a place where food is contributed and made available to those in need
soil bank
land retired from crop cultivation and planted with soil-building crops; government subsidies are paid to farmers for their retired land
hidden reserve
reserves that do not show up on the balance sheet (as by understating values)
pool
any communal combination of funds
allowance, allowance account, valuation account, valuation reserve
a reserve fund created by a charge against profits in order to provide for changes in the value of a company's assets
Type of:
accumulation
(finance) profits that are not paid out as dividends but are added to the capital base of the corporation

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

Synonyms:
military reserve
Type of:
armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine
the military forces of a nation

n a district that is reserved for particular purpose

Synonyms:
reservation
Types:
Indian reservation
a reservation set aside for the use of Indians
preserve
a reservation where animals are protected
shooting preserve
a preserve on which hunting is permitted during certain months of the year
Type of:
administrative district, administrative division, territorial division
a district defined for administrative purposes

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

Synonyms:
second-stringer, substitute
Types:
bench warmer
(sports) a substitute who seldom plays
pinch hitter
(baseball) a substitute for the regular batter
Type of:
athlete, jock
a person trained to compete in sports
2

n formality and propriety of manner

Synonyms:
modesty
Types:
demureness
the trait of behaving with reserve and decorum
Type of:
correctitude, properness, propriety
correct or appropriate behavior

n the trait of being uncommunicative; not volunteering anything more than necessary

Synonyms:
reticence, taciturnity
Type of:
uncommunicativeness
the trait of being uncommunicative
3

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

Types:
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
Type of:
indefinite quantity
an estimated quantity
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