(now rare) Something that prevents waste or loss. [from 17th c.]
1891, George Washington Cullum, Edward Singleton Holden, Charles Braden, Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., page 617:
Casting my fortunes at Mrs. Thompson's, I soon became initiated into the etiquette and usage of that polite caravansary; and I now write of that era of two-pronged forks, and when “saveall” was the choicest dish, and the observances at the table not altogether Chesterfieldian.
1896, Engineering Record, Building Record, Sanitary Engineer, American Plumbing Practice, page 107:
All of the fixtures are set on full-size marble slabs, having a ½-inch countersink for a save-all, with a 3-inch brass rose, screw-top strainer, connected to a 1¼-inch galvanized-iron waste pipe with a good incline and entering its 2-inch sectional save-all waste pipes R, Fig. 18, by a 45-degree connection.
(now chiefly historical) A device in a candlestick to hold the ends of candles, so they can be burned all the way down. [from 17th c.]
1828, JT Smith, Nollekens and His Times, Century Hutchinson, published 1986, page 232:
The remainder of the furniture consisted of a flat-candlestick, with a saveall; but, for snuffers, Bronze used her scissors, or indeed, upon most occasions, her fingers.
1848, Repertory of patent inventions and other discoveries and improvements in arts, manufactures and agriculture, page 178:
Fourthly, an ornamental candle-fastener. This invention is intended to combine a metallic or other ornament for the candle, acting as a fastener for the candle, with a save-all, by which the objectionable necessity of fastening the candle with paper is done away with.
1873, Arthur Charles Henderson, “No. 2253”, in Chronological and Descriptive Index of Patents Applied for and Patents Granted, Containing the Abridgements of Provisional and Complete Specifications, page 499:
An improved “save-all suitable to all kinds of candlesticks, candle or reading lamps, or chandeliers burning wax, composition, or other candles.
A trough to prevent waste in a paper-making machine. [from 18th c.]
1901, Frank O. Butler, The Story of Paper-making:
At the end of the "save-all", where the fibers are to leave the "wire" for the next stage of their journey, suction-boxes are placed, provided with an air-pump to take up the surplus water that has not yet found its way through the meshes.
1907 April 5, John Hunt, “Reclaiming Waste Material”, in The World's Paper Trade Review, volume 47, number 14, page 8:
In designing any save all system one of the cardinal principles is to send no material to the save-all which can be reclaimed in any other waya, and this applies particularly to the gravity variety.
1907 April 15, Paper Makers Monthly Journal, volume 45, number 4, page 128:
A large amount of backwater passing to the save-all will have the effect of keeping its contents in constant motion, and the currents thus set up will seriously impede its action.
(nautical, now historical) A small sail sometimes set under the foot of another sail, to catch the wind that would pass under it. [from 19th c.]
1835, John Jeremie, Recent events at Mauritius, page 83:
Save-all sails I believe are commonly laced on to the foot of other sails, in light weather—she had something of this description under her lower studding sails.
1843, The Art of Sail-Making as practised in the Royal Navy, page 12:
Sloops, cutters, smacks, hoys &c. have a main-sail abaft the mast, as the brigs; upon and before the mast they have a square sail, or cross-jack; and, above the cross-jack, a small sail, called a save-all top-sail; above that is a top-sail, called a swallow-tailed top-sail, and the next is the top-gallant-sail.
1863, Stephen Bleecker Luce, Seamanship, page 463:
There are a few other sails, such as a gaff-topsail, which sets over the spanker; a ring-tail, which sets abaft the spanker; a save-all, under the lower studding-sail boom, and a jib-topsail, which sets flying over the job. These are never met with now in the service.
