conservatory
Definitions
A school specializing in music, dance, or the fine arts
音乐（艺术）学院
A glass-roofed room or greenhouse attached to a house, used for plants
（玻璃顶的）温室；玻璃花房
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedconserve + -atory ('place for') = a place for keeping things. The two meanings split along the two things it keeps: a greenhouse keeps delicate plants safe, while a music conservatory (from Italian conservatorio) keeps and cultivates musical talent — originally orphanages that 'conserved' children by training them in music.
Root serv still carries 62 more wordsWhy It Means This
The surprising music-school sense comes from Italy: 16th-century Naples ran conservatori, orphanages that 'conserved' abandoned children by housing and educating them — and these became famous for musical training. So a music conservatory is, etymologically, a place that keeps and nurtures talent, not a greenhouse for plants.
Common Collocations
- 1.music conservatory音乐学院
- 2.glass conservatory玻璃温室
Example Sentences
- 1.
She studied violin at a prestigious music conservatory.
- 2.
They added a glass conservatory to the back of the house.