Verb: reserve ri'zurv
- Hold back or set aside, especially for future use or contingency
"they reserved their applause in anticipation"
- Give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause
"I will reserve this money for your research";
- allow, appropriate, earmark, set aside
- Obtain or arrange (for oneself) in advance
"We managed to reserve a table at Maxim's"
- Arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance
"reserve me a seat on a flight";
- hold, book
- Something kept back or saved for future use or a special purpose
"The company had a large reserve of cash";
- backlog, stockpile
- (military) armed forces that are not on active duty but can be called in an emergency
"Members of the military reserve train regularly to maintain readiness";
- military reserve
- An athlete who plays only when a starter on the team is replaced
"The reserve got his chance to play when the starting quarterback was injured";
- substitute, second-stringer [informal]
- (medicine) potential capacity to respond in order to maintain vital functions
"The patient's cardiac reserve was sufficient to withstand the surgery"
- A district that is reserved for particular purpose
"The wildlife reserve protected endangered species";
- reservation
- Formality and propriety of manner
"His reserve at the party was mistaken for aloofness";
- modesty
- The trait of being uncommunicative; not volunteering anything more than necessary
"His reserve made it difficult to get to know him";
- reticence, taciturnity
Derived forms: reserved, reserves, reserving
See also: set
Type of: accumulation, administrative district, administrative division, allot, armed forces, armed services, ask for, assign, athlete, bespeak, call for, correctitude, indefinite quantity, jock [N. Amer, informal], keep back, military, military machine, portion, properness, propriety, request, territorial division, uncommunicativeness, war machine, withhold
Part of: bench
Encyclopedia: Reserve, New Mexico