save

save¹ / sāv/ • v. [tr.] 1. keep safe or rescue (someone or something) from harm or danger: she saved a boy from drowning. ∎  prevent (someone) from dying: the doctors did everything they could to save him. ∎  (in Christian use) preserve (a person's soul) from damnation. 2. keep and store up (something, esp. money) for future use: she had never been able to save much from her salary. ∎  Comput. keep (data) by moving a copy to a storage location, esp. from memory: save it to a new file. ∎  preserve (something) by not expending or using it: save your strength till later. ∎  [in imper.] (save it) inf. used to tell someone to stop talking: save it, Joey—I'm in big trouble now. 3. avoid the need to use up or spend (money, time, or other resources): save $20 on a new camcorder. ∎  avoid, lessen, or guard against: this approach saves wear and tear on the books. 4. prevent an opponent from scoring (a goal or point) in a game or from winning (the game): the powerful German saved three match points. ∎  Baseball (of a relief pitcher in certain game situations) finish (a game) while preserving a winning position gained by another pitcher. ∎  Soccer & Hockey (of a goalkeeper) stop (a shot) from entering the goal. • n. Baseball an instance of a relief pitcher saving a game. ∎  chiefly Soccer & Hockey an act of preventing an opponent's scoring: the keeper made a great save. PHRASES: save one's breath [often in imper.] not bother to say something because it is pointless. save someone's skin (or neck or hide or bacon) rescue someone from danger or difficulty. save someone the trouble (or bother) avoid involving someone in useless or pointless effort: write it down and save yourself the trouble of remembering.DERIVATIVES: sav·a·ble (also save·a·ble) adj. save² • prep. & conj. formal or poetic/lit. except; other than: no one needed to know save herself.