reduce or dispose of; cease to hold (an investment); "The company decided to divest"; "the board of trustees divested $20 million in real estate property"; "There was pressure on the university to disinvest in South Africa"
deprive of status or authority; "he was divested of his rights and his title"; "They disinvested themselves of their rights"
preserve with sugar; "Mom always conserved the strawberries we grew in the backyard"
use cautiously and frugally; "I try to economize my spare time"; "conserve your energy for the ascent to the summit"
keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction; "We preserve these archeological findings"; "The old lady could not keep up the building"; "children must be taught to conserve our national heritage"; "The museum curator conserved the ancient manuscripts"
keep constant through physical or chemical reactions or evolutionary change; "Energy is conserved in this process"
moving quickly and lightly; "sleek and agile as a gymnast"; "as nimble as a deer"; "nimble fingers"; "quick of foot"; "the old dog was so spry it was halfway up the stairs before we could stop it"
support oneself; "he could barely exist on such a low wage"; "Can you live on $2000 a month in New York City?"; "Many people in the world have to subsist on $1 a day"
keep in one's mind; "I cannot retain so much information"
secure and keep for possible future use or application; "The landlord retained the security deposit"; "I reserve the right to disagree"
allow to remain in a place or position; "We cannot continue several servants any longer"; "She retains a lawyer"; "The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff"; "Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on"; "We kept the work going as long as we could"
hold within; "This soil retains water"; "I retain this drug for a long time"
caused to feel self-conscious and uncomfortable; "was discomfited by the personal questions"; "the child felt embarrassed by the attention of the adults"