adj.

Tending to preserve or capable of preserving.

n.

Something used to preserve, especially a chemical added to foods to inhibit spoilage.

Substances capable of retarding or arresting the deterioration of food; examples are sulphur dioxide, benzoic acid, specified antibiotics, salt, acids, and essential oils.

Substances added to food and drink to retard spoilage. Some preservatives (such as nitrates and sulphites) inhibit the growth of moulds and bacteria, while others (such as ascorbic acid, BHA, and BHT) stop fats from going rancid too quickly. Due to public concern about the safety of some of the artificial preservatives (e.g. BHT), there is a trend among manufacturers to replace these synthetic preservatives with natural ones (e.g. vitamin E).

adjective

Able to preserve: conservative, protective. See help/harm/harmless.

n

A substance added to prevent deterioration.

For more information on preservative, visit Britannica.com.

1. A product, such as creosote, used to make wood waterproof or immune against attack by insects, etc.
2. A protective coating on a metal surface.

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A substance added to a product to destroy or inhibit multiplication of microorganisms.

• food p. — substances added to food for humans; hence they are not poisonous.
• wood p. — chrome–copper–arsenic, chlorinated naphthalene, creosote; poisonous to most animals. See also wood preservative.

IN BRIEF: A substance added to food to keep it from spoiling.

A preservative was added to the candy to make it last a long time without refrigeration.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - konserveringsmiddel
adj. - bevarende

Nederlands (Dutch)
conserveermiddel, voorbehoedsmiddel, conserverend, behoudend

Français (French)
n. - agent de conservation, revêtement (protecteur)
adj. - de conservation

Deutsch (German)
n. - Konservierungsmittel
adj. - konservierend

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - συντηρητική ουσία, συντηρητικό
adj. - συντηρητικός, διατηρητικός

Italiano (Italian)
conservante

Português (Portuguese)
n. - conservante (m), preservativo (m)
adj. - conservante

Русский (Russian)
консервант, сохраняющий, предохраняющий

Español (Spanish)
n. - producto de conservación, conservante, preservativo, defensa
adj. - producto de conservación, conservante, profiláctico

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - konserveringsmedel, skyddsmedel
adj. - bevarande, konserverande

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
预防法, 防腐剂, 预防药, 保存的, 防腐的, 有保存力的

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 預防法, 防腐劑, 預防藥
adj. - 保存的, 防腐的, 有保存力的

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 예방법, 방부제
adj. - 보존하는, 보존력 있는

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 予防法, 保存薬, 保存料, 防腐剤
adj. - 保存の, 保存力のある, 防腐的の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مادة حافظ لحفظ الأطعمه من الفساد (صفه) والقي, حافظ‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮חומר-שימור‬
adj. - ‮נוטה לשמר‬

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