Obs. [ad. L. conservānt-em, pr. pple. of conservāre to CONSERVE: see -ANT.] That conserves, preserving, as in conservant cause (med.L. causa conservans).
1588. Fraunce, Lawiers Log., I. iii. 18 b. The procreant and conservant cause.
1615. Curry-C. for Coxe-C., iv. 202. Amongst Efficients, some permanent, some transient … some conseruant.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon. (1642), 117. The King … originant to them, conservant of them.
1679. T. Puller, Moder. Ch. Eng., xvii. (1843), 303. The Papacy was either the procreant or conservant cause, or both procreant and conservant of all the greater ecclesiastical controversies in the Christian world.
