Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Rescue from harm, danger, or loss.
  • noun Avoidance of excess expenditure; economy.
  • noun A reduction in expenditure or cost.
  • noun Something saved.
  • noun Money saved.
  • noun Usage Problem An amount of money saved.
  • noun Law An exception or reservation.
  • preposition With the exception of.
  • conjunction Except; save.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Economy in expenditure or outlay, or in the use of materials, money, etc.; avoidance or prevention of waste or loss in any operation, especially in expending one's earnings.
  • noun A reduction or lessening of expenditure or outlay; an advantage resulting from the avoiding of waste or loss: as, a saving of ten per cent.
  • noun plural Sums saved from time to time by the exercise of care and economy; money saved from waste or loss and laid by or hoarded up.
  • noun Exception; reservation.
  • Preserving from evil or destruction; redeeming.
  • Accustomed to save; avoiding unnecessary expenditure or outlay; frugal; economical: as, a saving housekeeper.
  • Bringing in returns or receipts the principal or sum invested or expended; incurring no loss, though not profitable: as, the vessel has made a saving run.
  • Implying or containing a condition or reservation: as, a saving clause. See clause.
  • Excepting; save; unless.
  • Regarding; having respect for; with apology to. See reverence.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Something kept from being expended or lost; that which is saved or laid up.
  • noun Exception; reservation.
  • noun a bank in which savings or earnings are deposited and put at interest.
  • With the exception of; except; excepting; also, without disrespect to.
  • adjective Preserving; rescuing.
  • adjective Avoiding unnecessary expense or waste; frugal; not lavish or wasteful; economical.
  • adjective Bringing back in returns or in receipts the sum expended; incurring no loss, though not gainful.
  • adjective Making reservation or exception.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A reduction in cost or expenditure.
  • noun countable, usually plural Something (usually money) that is saved.
  • noun uncountable The action of the verb to save.
  • noun obsolete exception; reservation
  • verb Present participle of save.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the activity of protecting something from loss or danger
  • adjective bringing about salvation or redemption from sin
  • noun an act of economizing; reduction in cost
  • noun recovery or preservation from loss or danger
  • adjective characterized by thriftiness

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From save +‎ -ing.

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Examples

  • I've been saving, and saving, and _saving_ for that guinea-pig; and it seems as if I never _should_ have enough, "said Bobbie confidentially.

    Soap-Bubble Stories For Children Fanny Barry

  • The Connecticut troops will not be prevailed upon to stay longer than their term saving those who have enlisted for the next campaign and mostly on furlough, and such a dirty, mercenary spirit pervades the whole that I should not be at all surprised at any disaster that may happen.

    Washington Richard Harwell 1968

  • The Connecticut troops will not be prevailed upon to stay longer than their term saving those who have enlisted for the next campaign and mostly on furlough, and such a dirty, mercenary spirit pervades the whole that I should not be at all surprised at any disaster that may happen.

    Washington Richard Harwell 1968

  • The Connecticut troops will not be prevailed upon to stay longer than their term saving those who have enlisted for the next campaign and mostly on furlough, and such a dirty, mercenary spirit pervades the whole that I should not be at all surprised at any disaster that may happen.

    Washington Richard Harwell 1968

  • The Connecticut troops will not be prevailed upon to stay longer than their term saving those who have enlisted for the next campaign and mostly on furlough, and such a dirty, mercenary spirit pervades the whole that I should not be at all surprised at any disaster that may happen.

    Washington Richard Harwell 1968

  • The phrase "saving the taxpayer money" cannot be found on either the Freddie Mac or FHFA website.

    Richard (RJ) Eskow: Edward DeMarco: The Ideologue Who's Holding Homeowers - And The Economy - Hostage RJ 2012

  • The phrase "saving the taxpayer money" cannot be found on either the Freddie Mac or FHFA website.

    Richard (RJ) Eskow: Edward DeMarco: The Ideologue Who's Holding Homeowers - And The Economy - Hostage RJ 2012

  • And it is Vicki there to the far left of your screen, Vicki Reggie Kennedy, for the last 17 years, Senator Kennedy's wife and a woman credited with the senator once used the term saving him.

    CNN Transcript Aug 27, 2009 2009

  • Against Thrift, argues that the magic bullet for the nation's problems is for consumers to spend more-a lot more-and rub out the phrase "saving for a rainy day" from the American lexicon.

    BusinessWeek.com -- Top News 2011

  • They had this thing planned out and now what you call saving 400 people I call kidnapping because they don ` t find this religion palatable.

    CNN Transcript Apr 7, 2008 2008

Comments

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  • What was that?

    It's our savings.

    What's it doing?

    Making a sandwich.

    November 2, 2007

  • Saving is virtuous on a personal level, but if everyone does it at the same time, it could be perilous.

    November 2, 2007

  • Ha! Love it, jennarenn. That's pretty much what comes to mind when I hear that phrase.

    November 2, 2007

  • I wish I could take the credit. Sadly, that one was stolen from a commercial I was watching while on Wordie.

    November 3, 2007

  • I remember that commercial--mainly because most commercials just aren't funny. :-)

    November 4, 2007