conserve [LME] This comes via French from Latin conservare ‘to preserve’, the elements of which are con- ‘together’ and servare ‘to keep’. Conservatory [M16th] was originally ‘something that preserves’, with the sense glasshouse that conserves plants from the winter cold dating from the mid 17th century and the sense of a music school late 18th. Other words from servare are preserve [LME] from prae ‘in advance’ and servare; observe [LME] with ob ‘toward’ with the sense ‘pay attention to’; and reserve [ME] ‘keep back’.