reserve Definition

to hold in reserve : keep back

to set aside (part of the consecrated elements) at the Eucharist for future use

to retain or hold over to a future time or place : defer

something reserved or set aside for a particular purpose, use, or reason: such as

a military force withheld from action for later decisive use —usually used in plural

forces not in the field but available

a central bank holding reserves of other banks

a clause formerly placed in a professional athlete's contract that reserved for the club the exclusive right automatically to renew the contract and that bound the athlete to the club until retirement or until the athlete was traded or released

a price announced at an auction as the lowest that will be considered

to postpone making a judgment or decision

one of 12 reserve banks set up under the Federal Reserve Act to hold reserves and discount commercial paper for affiliated banks in their respective districts

a 7-member board of governors overseeing the Federal Reserve System

the central banking system of the U.S. consisting of 12 districts with a Federal Reserve bank in the principal commercial city of each district

the minimum amount of bank deposits or life insurance company assets required by law to be kept as reserves