What does "reservoir" mean?
A place where anything is kept in store.
Reservoir
/ˈɹɛz.ə(ɹ).vwɑɹ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A place where anything is kept in store.
- Grammar: reservoir is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accumulator, ace in the hole, archives, armory.
- Useful contrasts: dearth, drain, leak.
- Usage evidence: The town is supplied with water from a reservoir in the hills.
How to use "reservoir"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "reservoir" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "reservoir" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "reservoir" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "reservoir" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "reservoir" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accumulator" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "reservoir", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A place where anything is kept in store.
"Notwithstanding the way in which she had, in what she termed "the delicacy of her feelings," contrived to pour the receipts of the fancy fair into one reservoir, the duke and several other persons complimented Lady Anne very much on the superior beauty and value of her articles,..."
- 2 tank used for collecting and storing a liquid (as water or oil) wordnet
- 3 A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply.
- 4 lake used to store water for community use; a lake (natural or artificial) used to store water and used as a source of water wordnet
- 5 A small intercellular space, often containing resin, essential oil, or some other secreted matter.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 anything (a person or animal or plant or substance) in which an infectious agent normally lives and multiplies wordnet
- 7 A supply or source of something.
"To replace them and also to provide a reservoir for relief trains, a certain amount of spare stock must be kept on hand."
- 8 a large or extra supply of something wordnet
- 9 A species that acts as host to a zoonosis when it is not causing acute illness in other susceptible species.
"Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents."
- 10 A "black box" component that receives an input signal to be read out and mapped by another process, as part of reservoir computing.
Verb
- 1 To store or keep (something) in or as in a reservoir. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A suburb of Melbourne in the City of Darebin, Victoria, Australia
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The town is supplied with water from a reservoir in the hills."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "reservoir"?
Common synonyms include: accumulator, ace in the hole, archives, armory, arsenal, artificial lake.
How do you use "reservoir" in a sentence?
The town is supplied with water from a reservoir in the hills.
How do you pronounce "reservoir"?
Pronounced /ˈɹɛz.ə(ɹ).vwɑɹ/.
Etymology
From French réservoir (“collection place”) (fig.), réservoir (“storehouse”) (lit.). in turn from French réserver (“to reserve, keep”).