v. 1 keep or hold (back), withhold, save, set or put aside, conserve, preserve, retain, keep (to or for oneself), hold over, postpone, delay, put off, defer Reserve judgement till you have heard all the facts I shall reserve my answer to that question for another day. 2 hold, keep, book, register, save, put or set aside, charter, engage, secure, contract for I have reserved two seats for the matinee
n. 3 Often, reserves. store, stock, stockpile, inventory, supply, nest egg, reservoir, fund, hoard, cache We prayed for rain, as our water reserves were getting low 4 reticence, (self-)restraint, (self-)control, taciturnity, aplomb, formality, coolness, aloofness, guardedness, standoffishness, remoteness, detachment I had to admire Paul's reserve in the face of such insults 5 Often, reserves. auxiliary, alternate, substitute, reinforcements, backup, spare If battle goes badly, we shall have to call out the reserves 6 See reservation, 4, above. 7 reservation, restriction, restraint, hesitancy, hesitation, limit, limitation, hedging, avoidance, evasion, dodging, fudging The lawyer acknowledged without reserve that the case was weak 8 in reserve. ready, in readiness, on hand, available, on call, accessible, as backup, in store, on tap, at (one's) fingertips We have huge resources in reserve should we require them