preservative

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun a chemical compound that is added to protect against decay or decomposition
adjective tending or having the power to preserve

From Old French preservatif, from Medieval Latin praeservativus.

Bodies in the dissecting-rooms are injected with preservative fluid. — The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle
He took no “preservative measures,” as they may be called. — Les Misérables, Victor Hugo
Indeed, the preservative virtues of the cold struck me with astonishment. — The Frozen Pirate, William Clark Russell

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