# save

Pronunciation: US say "SAYV" /seɪv/; UK

## Verb

1. To rescue someone or something from harm or danger, or to keep them safe from it.
   - Simple: To stop someone or something from being hurt, killed, lost or destroyed.
   - _Dozens of homes were saved when the wind shifted away from the town._
   - _Firefighters worked through the night to save the old church from the flames._
2. To use less of something, such as money, time or energy, so that it is not wasted; to economize.
   - Simple: To use less of something like money, time or energy so none is wasted.
   - _Households were urged to save wherever they could that winter._
   - _The factory saves by running its furnaces at night when power is cheap._
3. To accumulate money or valuables, by setting them aside rather than spending.
   - Simple: To put money aside little by little.
   - _The couple saved for ten years before they could buy a house._
   - _Many families save a fixed share of each paycheck and never touch it._
4. In computing and video games, to write a file or game state to disk or another storage medium.
   - Simple: To store your work on a computer so it is not lost.
   - _Where did I save that document? It isn't on the desktop._
   - _The game saves automatically at every checkpoint._
5. To spare someone something unpleasant or unnecessary, such as effort, trouble or a task, or to make it unnecessary.
   - Simple: To mean that someone does not have to do something hard or unpleasant.
   - _Booking your tickets online will save you a long wait at the station._
   - _A quick phone call saved her a wasted journey._
6. To store or set aside for future use.
   - Simple: To keep something so you can use it later.
   - _I always save the leftover rice to make fried rice the next day._
   - _He saved every letter she had ever written him._
7. In Christianity, to redeem or protect someone from eternal damnation.
   - Simple: In Christian belief, to rescue a person from punishment after death.
   - _The preacher told the crowd that faith alone could save them._
   - _Revivalists asked the crowd whether they had been saved._
12. In sports, to catch or deflect a shot at goal.
   - Simple: In sports, to stop a shot from going into the goal.
   - _Her low shot was saved by the keeper, but the striker scored from the rebound._
   - _Keepers who save with their feet are prized in the modern game._
14. Used reflexively, often with for, to refrain from romantic or especially sexual relationships until marriage or a suitable partner.
   - Simple: To wait for marriage or the right person before having a romantic or sexual relationship. Used with yourself, herself, and so on.
   - _He was raised to believe he should be saving himself for his future wife._
   - _The character teases her friend for wanting to save herself for the right man._
15. In baseball, of a relief pitcher: to preserve another pitcher's win by holding the lead after that pitcher leaves the game.
   - Simple: In baseball, to keep the lead safe as the last pitcher so another pitcher gets the win.
   - _The closer saved the win with three straight strikeouts._
   - _Relievers who save thirty games a season are always in high demand._
17. To refrain from saying something. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To keep quiet about something instead of saying it.
   - _Save your breath; she's already made up her mind._
   - _You can save your excuses for someone who hasn't heard them all before._

## Noun

8. In a number of sports, a play that stops an opponent's attempt to score.
   - Simple: In sports, a stop that keeps the other team from scoring.
   - _Her diving save in the final minute kept the score level._
   - _The goaltender made a great save with his glove._
10. In computing, the act or result of saving data to a storage medium.
   - Simple: The act of storing your work on a computer, or the stored copy itself.
   - _The game only lets you make a save at certain checkpoints._
   - _I deleted my old saves to free up space on the memory card._
11. In baseball, a successful effort by a relief pitcher to preserve another pitcher's win.
   - Simple: In baseball, the credit a relief pitcher gets for protecting a win.
   - _The closer struck out the last batter to pick up his thirtieth save._
   - _After striking out the side in the ninth, he was credited with his thirtieth save of the season._
13. An act that prevents harm, loss or failure, including a quick recovery from an awkward or embarrassing situation.
   - Simple: Something you do that stops a problem, loss or embarrassing moment from getting worse.
   - _Keeping the old station out of the demolition crew's hands was the heritage society's biggest save of the year._
   - _When the microphone died, her quick joke to the audience was a smooth save._

## Preposition

9. Except; with the exception of.
   - Simple: Except for.
   - _Every seat in the theater was taken save a few in the back row._
   - _All the windows save one had been boarded up._

## Conjunction

16. Unless; except that.
   - Simple: Except for the fact that, or unless.
   - _You may park anywhere on this street, save where signs say otherwise._
   - _She stood quite still, save that her hands trembled._

## Verb

18. In gambling, to agree with a fellow gambler that each will pay the other a sum if either wins, as a hedge. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: In old gambling slang, to agree with another player to share winnings.

## Other meanings

- (noun) In role-playing games, a saving throw.
- (noun) In professional wrestling slang, the point in a match when one or more wrestlers run to the ring to aid a fellow wrestler being beaten.

## Origin

The verb comes from Middle English saven, from Old French sauver and Late Latin salvāre ('to make safe'), from Latin salvus ('safe'). The uses meaning 'except' came separately from Old French sauf ('safe'), from the same Latin word.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/save (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).