Dictionary
pre•serv•a•tive
Pronunciation: (pri-zûr'vu-tiv), [key]—
n.
1. something that preserves or tends to preserve.
2. a chemical substance used to preserve foods or other organic materials from decomposition or fermentation.
—
adj.
tending to preserve.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.