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etc.; specifically, in a religious sense, to obey and worship. God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit. Rom. i. 9. Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. Gen. xxix. 18. No man can serve two masters. Matt. vi. 24. Had I but served my God with half the zeal I…

One who serves.

To keep in a safe or sound state; to save; to preserve; to protect. The amity which . . . they meant to conserve and maintain with the emperor. Strype.

One who conserves.

y of (something due, either good or evil); to merit; to be entitled to; as, the laborer deserves his wages; a work of value deserves praise. God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth. Job xi. 6. John Gay deserved to be a favorite. Thackeray. Encouragement is not held out to things that deserve reprehensio…

According to desert (whether good or evil); justly.

Meritoriousness.

One who deserves.

To fail to serve; to do injury or mischief to; to damage; to hurt; to harm. Have neither served nor disserved the interests of any party. Jer. Taylor.

To be of use to an end; to serve. [Obs.]

An apparatus, made in very various forms, and of various materials, for saving one from drowning by buoying up the body while in the water. -- Life"-pre*serv`ing, a.

To observe inaccurately; to mistake in observing. Locke.

One who misobserves; one who fails to observe properly.

To serve unfaithfully.

conform one's action or practice to; to keep; to heed; to obey; to comply with; as, to observe rules or commands; to observe civility. Ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread. Ex. xii. 17. He wolde no such cursedness observe. Chaucer. Must I budge Must I observe you Shak. With solemn purpose to observe Immutabl…

One who observes, or pays attention to, anything; especially, one engaged in, or trained to habits of, close and exact observation; as, an astronomical observer. The observed of all observers. Shak. Careful observers may foretell the hour, By sure prognostic, when to dread a shower. Swift.

The office or work of an observer.

estruction; to guard or defend from evil, harm, danger, etc.; to protect. O Lord, thou preserved man and beast. Ps. xxxvi. 6. Now, good angels preserve the king. Shak.

One who, or that which, preserves, saves, or defends, from destruction, injury, or decay; esp., one who saves the life or character of another. Shak.

To keep back; to retain; not to deliver, make over, or disclose. "I have reserved to myself nothing." Shak.