reserve
Definitions
To keep something for future use; to book or set aside
保留；储备；预订
A supply of something kept for later use
储备，储备物
An area of land kept for wildlife or a special purpose
保护区，保留地
A quality of being shy or undemonstrative; self-restraint
矜持，含蓄；克制
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedre- ('back') + serve (servāre 'keep') = keep something back. That single image runs through every sense: hold a seat back for you (reserve a table), keep supplies back (oil reserves), keep land back for wildlife (nature reserve), even hold your feelings back (a person of great reserve).
Root serv still carries 62 more wordsWhy It Means This
The 'shyness' sense surprises learners but follows the same logic: a reserved person 'holds back' their feelings, just as oil reserves are held back underground. The emotion is being kept in store, not spent. One root act — keeping back — running across booking, supplies, land, and personality.
Common Collocations
- 1.reserve the right保留权利
- 2.reserve a table预订桌位
- 3.nature reserve自然保护区
- 4.in reserve备用、储备着
- 5.foreign reserves外汇储备
Example Sentences
- 1.
I'd like to reserve a table for four at eight o'clock.
- 2.
The country has vast reserves of natural gas.
- 3.
The deer live safely in a nature reserve.
- 4.
Beneath her reserve lay a sharp sense of humor.