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save

1. To make safe; to procure the safety of; to preserve from injury, destruction, or evil of any kind; to rescue from impending danger; as, to save a house from the flames. God save all this fair company. (Chaucer) He cried, saying, lord, save me. (Matt. Xiv. 30) Thou hast . . . Quitted all to save A world from utter loss. (milton)

2. Specifically, to deliver from and its penalty; to rescue from a state of condemnation and spiritual death, and bring into a state of spiritual life. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. (1 Tim. I. 15)

3. To keep from being spent or lost; to secure from waste or expenditure; to lay up; to reserve. Now save a nation, and now save a groat. (pope)

4. To rescue from something undesirable or hurtful; to prevent from doing something; to spare. I'll save you That labour, sir. All's now done. (Shak)

5. To hinder from doing, suffering, or happening; to obviate the necessity of; to prevent; to spare. Will you not speak to save a lady's blush? (Dryden)

6. To hold possession or use of; to escape loss of. Just saving the tide, and putting in a stock of merit. (swift) To save appearance, to preserve a decent outside; to avoid exposure of a discreditable state of things.

Synonym: To preserve, rescue, deliver, protect, spare, reserve, prevent.

Origin: OE. Saven, sauven, salven, OF. Salver, sauver, F. Sauver, L. Salvare, fr. Salvus saved, safe. See Safe.