Definition of "conservancy" [con•serv•an•cy]

• Conservation, especially of natural resources. (noun)
• An organization dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitats in the United States. (noun)
• Chiefly British A commission supervising fisheries and navigation. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The conservancy is a nonprofit based in Cold Spring, N.Y., and the tours, which drew more than 75,000 people last year, are its largest fund-raiser."
• "Water shortages may also occur in the Tapakuma conservancy, which is partly supplied by pumping from the Pomeroon river."
• "The conservancy is a little bit smaller than Rhode Island; about 3,200 people live within its boundaries."