1. The act or process of conserving.
2. 1. Preservation or restoration from loss, damage, or neglect: manuscripts saved from deterioration under the program of library conservation.
   2. The protection, preservation, management, or restoration of wildlife and of natural resources such as forests, soil, and water.
3. The maintenance of a physical quantity, such as energy or mass, during a physical or chemical change.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.