[syn: preserve, keep]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Keep \Keep\ (k[=e]p), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Kept (k[e^]pt); p.
pr. & vb. n. Keeping.] [OE. k[=e]pen, AS. c[=e]pan to keep,
regard, desire, await, take, betake; cf. AS. copenere lover,
OE. copnien to desire.]
1. To care; to desire. [Obs.]
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I kepe not of armes for to yelp [boast]. --Chaucer.
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2. To hold; to restrain from departure or removal; not to let
go of; to retain in one's power or possession; not to
lose; to retain; to detain.
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If we lose the field,
We can not keep the town. --Shak.
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That I may know what keeps me here with you.
--Dryden.
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If we would weigh and keep in our minds what we are
considering, that would instruct us. --Locke.
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3. To cause to remain in a given situation or condition; to
maintain unchanged; to hold or preserve in any state or
tenor.
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His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal. --Milton.
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Keep a stiff rein, and move but gently on.
--Addison.
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Note: In this sense it is often used with prepositions and
adverbs, as to keep away, to keep down, to keep from,
to keep in, out, or off, etc. "To keep off impertinence
and solicitation from his superior." --Addison.
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4. To have in custody; to have in some place for
preservation; to take charge of.
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The crown of Stephanus, first king of Hungary, was
always kept in the castle of Vicegrade. --Knolles.
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5. To preserve from danger, harm, or loss; to guard.
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Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee. --Gen.
xxviii. 15.
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6. To preserve from discovery or publicity; not to
communicate, reveal, or betray, as a secret.
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Great are thy virtues . . . though kept from man.
--Milton.
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7. To attend upon; to have the care of; to tend.
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And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the
garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. --Gen.
ii. 15.
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In her girlish age, she kept sheep on the moor.
--Carew.
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8. To record transactions, accounts, or events in; as, to
keep books, a journal, etc.; also, to enter (as accounts,
records, etc. ) in a book.
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9. To maintain, as an establishment, institution, or the
like; to conduct; to manage; as, to keep store.
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Like a pedant that keeps a school. --Shak.
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Every one of them kept house by himself. --Hayward.
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10. To supply with necessaries of life; to entertain; as, to
keep boarders.
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11. To have in one's service; to have and maintain, as an
assistant, a servant, a mistress, a horse, etc.
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I keep but three men and a boy. --Shak.
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12. To have habitually in stock for sale.
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13. To continue in, as a course or mode of action; not to
intermit or fall from; to hold to; to maintain; as, to
keep silence; to keep one's word; to keep possession.
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Both day and night did we keep company. --Shak.
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Within this portal as I kept my watch. --Smollett.
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14. To observe; to adhere to; to fulfill; not to swerve from
or violate; to practice or perform, as duty; not to
neglect; to be faithful to.
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I have kept the faith. --2 Tim. iv.
7.
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Him whom to love is to obey, and keep
His great command. --Milton.
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15. To confine one's self to; not to quit; to remain in; as,
to keep one's house, room, bed, etc.; hence, to haunt; to
frequent. --Shak.
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'Tis hallowed ground;
Fairies, and fawns, and satyrs do it keep. --J.
Fletcher.
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16. To observe duly, as a festival, etc.; to celebrate; to
solemnize; as, to keep a feast.
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I went with them to the house of God . . . with a
multitude that kept holyday. --Ps. xlii. 4.
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To keep at arm's length. See under Arm, n.
To keep back.
(a) To reserve; to withhold. "I will keep nothing back
from you." --Jer. xlii. 4.
(b) To restrain; to hold back. "Keep back thy servant
also from presumptuous sins." --Ps. xix. 13.
To keep company with.
(a) To frequent the society of; to associate with; as,
let youth keep company with the wise and good.
(b) To accompany; to go with; as, to keep company with
one on a voyage; also, to pay court to, or accept
attentions from, with a view to marriage. [Colloq.]
To keep counsel. See under Counsel, n.
To keep down.
(a) To hold in subjection; to restrain; to hinder.
(b) (Fine Arts) To subdue in tint or tone, as a portion
of a picture, so that the spectator's attention may
not be diverted from the more important parts of the
work.
To keep good hours or To keep bad hours, to be
customarily early (or late) in returning home or in
retiring to rest.
To keep house.
(a) To occupy a separate house or establishment, as with
one's family, as distinguished from boarding; to
manage domestic affairs.
(b) (Eng. Bankrupt Law) To seclude one's self in one's
house in order to evade the demands of creditors.
To keep one's hand in, to keep in practice.
To keep open house, to be hospitable.
To keep the peace (Law), to avoid or to prevent a breach of
the peace.
To keep school, to govern, manage and instruct or teach a
school, as a preceptor.
To keep a stiff upper lip, to keep up one's courage.
[Slang]
To keep term.
(a) (Eng. Universities) To reside during a term.
(b) (Inns of Court) To eat a sufficient number of dinners
in hall to make the term count for the purpose of
being called to the bar. [Eng.] --Mozley & W.
To keep touch. See under Touch, n.
To keep under, to hold in subjection; hence, to oppress.
To keep up.
(a) To maintain; to prevent from falling or diminution;
as, to keep up the price of goods; to keep up one's
credit.
(b) To maintain; to continue; to prevent from ceasing.
"In joy, that which keeps up the action is the desire
to continue it." --Locke.
Syn: To retain; detain; reserve; preserve; hold; restrain;
maintain; sustain; support; withhold. -- To Keep.
Usage: Retain, Preserve. Keep is the generic term, and is
often used where retain or preserve would too much
restrict the meaning; as, to keep silence, etc. Retain
denotes that we keep or hold things, as against
influences which might deprive us of them, or reasons
which might lead us to give them up; as, to retain
vivacity in old age; to retain counsel in a lawsuit;
to retain one's servant after a reverse of fortune.
Preserve denotes that we keep a thing against agencies
which might lead to its being destroyed or broken in
upon; as, to preserve one's health; to preserve
appearances.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Keep \Keep\, n.
1. The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed;
charge. --Chaucer.
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Pan, thou god of shepherds all,
Which of our tender lambkins takest keep. --Spenser.
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2. The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition;
case; as, to be in good keep.
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3. The means or provisions by which one is kept; maintenance;
support; as, the keep of a horse.
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Grass equal to the keep of seven cows. --Carlyle.
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I performed some services to the college in return
for my keep. --T. Hughes.
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4. That which keeps or protects; a stronghold; a fortress; a
castle; specifically, the strongest and securest part of a
castle, often used as a place of residence by the lord of
the castle, especially during a siege; the dungeon. See
Illust. of Castle.
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The prison strong,
Within whose keep the captive knights were laid.
--Dryden.
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The lower chambers of those gloomy keeps. --Hallam.
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I think . . . the keep, or principal part of a
castle, was so called because the lord and his
domestic circle kept, abode, or lived there. --M. A.
Lower.
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5. That which is kept in charge; a charge. [Obs.]
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Often he used of his keep
A sacrifice to bring. --Spenser.
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6. (Mach.) A cap for retaining anything, as a journal box, in
place.
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To take keep, to take care; to heed. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Keep \Keep\, v. i.
1. To remain in any position or state; to continue; to abide;
to stay; as, to keep at a distance; to keep aloft; to keep
near; to keep in the house; to keep before or behind; to
keep in favor; to keep out of company, or out reach.
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2. To last; to endure; to remain unimpaired.
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If the malt be not thoroughly dried, the ale it
makes will not keep. --Mortimer.
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3. To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell. [Now disused
except locally or colloquially.]
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Knock at his study, where, they say, he keeps.
--Shak.
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4. To take care; to be solicitous; to watch. [Obs.]
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Keep that the lusts choke not the word of God that
is in us. --Tyndale.
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5. To be in session; as, school keeps to-day. [Colloq.]
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To keep from, to abstain or refrain from.
To keep in with, to keep on good terms with; as, to keep in
with an opponent.
To keep on, to go forward; to proceed; to continue to
advance.
To keep to, to adhere strictly to; not to neglect or
deviate from; as, to keep to old customs; to keep to a
rule; to keep to one's word or promise.
To keep up, to remain unsubdued; also, not to be confined
to one's bed.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Donjon \Don"jon\ (d[u^]n"j[u^]n), n. [See Dungeon.]
The chief tower, also called the keep; a massive tower in
ancient castles, forming the strongest part of the
fortifications. See Illust. of Castle.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
keep
n 1: the financial means whereby one lives; "each child was
expected to pay for their keep"; "he applied to the state
for support"; "he could no longer earn his own livelihood"
[syn: support, keep, livelihood, living, bread and
butter, sustenance]
2: the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or
fortress [syn: keep, donjon, dungeon]
3: a cell in a jail or prison [syn: hold, keep]
v 1: keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep
clean"; "hold in place"; "She always held herself as a
lady"; "The students keep me on my toes" [syn: keep,
maintain, hold]
2: continue a certain state, condition, or activity; "Keep on
working!"; "We continued to work into the night"; "Keep
smiling"; "We went on working until well past midnight" [syn:
continue, go on, proceed, go along, keep] [ant:
discontinue]
3: retain possession of; "Can I keep my old stuffed animals?";
"She kept her maiden name after she married" [syn: keep,
hold on] [ant: lose]
4: stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in
a certain state; "We must prevent the cancer from spreading";
"His snoring kept me from falling asleep"; "Keep the child
from eating the marbles" [syn: prevent, keep] [ant:
allow, let, permit]
5: conform one's action or practice to; "keep appointments";
"she never keeps her promises"; "We kept to the original
conditions of the contract" [syn: observe, keep] [ant:
breach, break, go against, infract, offend,
transgress, violate]
6: stick to correctly or closely; "The pianist kept time with
the metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all my
employees" [syn: observe, keep, maintain]
7: look after; be the keeper of; have charge of; "He keeps the
shop when I am gone"
8: maintain by writing regular records; "keep a diary";
"maintain a record"; "keep notes" [syn: keep, maintain]
9: supply with room and board; "He is keeping three women in the
guest cottage"; "keep boarders"
10: allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a
property or feature; "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"; "She retained her
composure"; "this garment retains its shape even after many
washings" [syn: retain, continue, keep, keep on]
11: supply with necessities and support; "She alone sustained
her family"; "The money will sustain our good cause";
"There's little to earn and many to keep" [syn: sustain,
keep, maintain]
12: fail to spoil or rot; "These potatoes keep for a long time"
[syn: keep, stay fresh]
13: behave as expected during of holidays or rites; "Keep the
commandments"; "celebrate Christmas"; "Observe Yom Kippur"
[syn: observe, celebrate, keep]
14: keep under control; keep in check; "suppress a smile"; "Keep
your temper"; "keep your cool" [syn: restrain, keep,
keep back, hold back]
15: maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger; "May God
keep you" [syn: keep, preserve]
16: raise; "She keeps a few chickens in the yard"; "he keeps
bees"
17: retain rights to; "keep my job for me while I give birth";
"keep my seat, please"; "keep open the possibility of a
merger" [syn: keep open, hold open, keep, save]
18: store or keep customarily; "Where do you keep your gardening
tools?"
19: have as a supply; "I always keep batteries in the freezer";
"keep food for a week in the pantry"; "She keeps a sixpack
and a week's worth of supplies in the refrigerator"
20: maintain for use and service; "I keep a car in the
countryside"; "She keeps an apartment in Paris for her
shopping trips" [syn: keep, maintain]
21: hold and prevent from leaving; "The student was kept after
school"
22: prevent (food) from rotting; "preserved meats"; "keep
potatoes fresh" [syn: preserve, keep]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
545 Moby Thesaurus words for "keep":
POW camp, TLC, abide, abide by, abstain, accede to, accommodate,
accommodation, accommodations, accumulate, acknowledge, acropolis,
act up to, adhere to, administer Communion, afford, afford support,
agree to, aliment, alimentation, alimony, amass, arm, armor,
arrest, attend Communion, attend Mass, attend to, attend to orders,
backlog, balance, ballast, bastille, bastion, be faithful to,
beachhead, bear, bear in mind, bear out, bear up, beat the drum,
bed, bed and board, bide, bit, black hole, bless, block,
blockhouse, blow the trumpet, board, board and room, bolster,
bolster up, borstal, borstal institution, bosom, bottle up, box up,
bread, bread and butter, breed, bridewell, bridgehead, bridle,
brig, brood over, bunker, buttress, cage, camouflage, can, care,
care for, carry, carry on, castle, celebrate, celebrate Mass, cell,
champion, charge, check, cherish, citadel, cling to, clink, clip,
cloak, cloister, clothe, collect, commemorate, communicate,
compass about, comply, comply with, conceal, concentration camp,
condemned cell, conduct, confine, conform, conform to, consecrate,
conserve, constrain, contain, continue, continue to be, control,
cool, cool off, cooler, coop, coop in, coop up, copyright, cork up,
counterbalance, cover, crib, crutch, culture, cumulate, curb,
curtail, cushion, custodianship, custody, daily bread, death cell,
death house, death row, decelerate, defeat time, defend, defer to,
defy time, deny, detain, detention camp, deter, direct, disallow,
discourage, do justice to, dompt, donate, donjon, dress ship,
dungeon, dwell, dwell on, dwell upon, economic support, embosom,
embrace, encage, enclose, endow, endowment, endure, enjoin, enjoy,
ensure, entertain, exist, extend, facilities, fan the embers, farm,
fasthold, fastness, fatten, federal prison, feed, fence, fence in,
fend, fill, fill up, finance, find, fire a salute, firm, firm up,
follow, follow the book, fondle, food, forbear, forbid,
forced-labor camp, fort, fortress, foster, freeze, fulfill, fund,
furnish, gaol, garner, garner up, garrison, garrison house,
gather into barns, give, give support, go on, govern, grow,
guarantee, guard, guardhouse, guarding, hallow, hang on to, harbor,
harken to, hatch, have, have and hold, have in mind, haven,
heap up, heed, hem in, hide, hinder, hoard, hoard up, hold,
hold at bay, hold back, hold by, hold down, hold fast, hold in,
hold in check, hold in custody, hold in leash, hold in mind,
hold in restraint, hold jubilee, hold on, hold on to, hold out,
hold up, honor, house of correction, house of detention, hug,
husband, immobilize, immure, impound, imprison, incarcerate,
industrial school, inhibit, insure, internment camp, invest, jail,
jailhouse, jubilate, jubilize, jug, keep alive, keep back,
keep by one, keep dark, keep faith with, keep from, keep from harm,
keep going, keep in, keep in check, keep in custody,
keep in detention, keep in memory, keep in mind, keep in reserve,
keep in store, keep in view, keep intact, keep inviolate, keep on,
keep on hand, keep out, keep safe, keep the faith,
keep under control, keep up, keeping, labor camp, last, last long,
last out, laud, lay by, lay under restraint, lay up, lend support,
lengthen, listen to, live, live on, live through, live up to,
livelihood, living, lock in, lockup, lodgings, look after, maffick,
maintain, maintenance, make available, make good, make merry,
make provision for, make safe, manage, manna, mark, martello,
martello tower, mask, maximum-security prison, meat, meet,
memorialize, mew, mew up, mind, minimum-security prison, mote,
mothering, motte, muzzle, nail down, nestle, not destroy,
not endanger, not expend, not use up, not waste, nourish,
nourishment, nurse, nurture, nutriment, obey, obey the rules,
observe, obstruct, operate, ordain, oubliette, own, pabulum, pap,
patent, pay attention to, peel, peel tower, pen, pen up,
penal colony, penal institution, penal settlement, penitentiary,
perdure, perennate, perpetuate, persist, persist in, pile up,
pillbox, pin down, pokey, police, possess, post, pound, praise,
prepare, present, preserve, prevail, prevent, preventive custody,
price support, prison, prison camp, prisonhouse, prohibit, prolong,
prop, prop up, protect, protection, protective custody, protract,
provide, provide for, provision, pull, pull in, put apart,
put aside, put away, put by, put up, rail in, raise, ranch, rath,
rear, receive the Sacrament, recruit, refection, reform school,
reformatory, refreshment, regard, register, rein, rein in,
reinforce, remain, replenish, repress, reserve, respect, restrain,
restrict, retain, retard, retrench, ride shotgun for, run, run on,
safeguard, safehold, safekeeping, sanctify, satisfy, save, save up,
screen, seal up, secrete, secure, set apart, set aside, set back,
set by, shackle, shelter, shield, shore, shore up, shroud, shut in,
shut up, signalize, slow down, smother, snub, solemnize,
solemnly mark, sound a fanfare, spare, sponging house, squirrel,
squirrel away, stabilitate, stabilize, stand, stand up,
state prison, stay, stay in line, stay on, steady, stick, stifle,
stir, stock, stock up, stockade, stockpile, store, store up,
stow away, straiten, strong point, stronghold, submit,
subsidization, subsidize, subsidy, subsist, subsistence,
subvention, subventionize, supply, support, suppress, survive,
sustain, sustainment, sustenance, sustentation, take orders, tarry,
tend, tender loving care, the hole, tide over, toe the line,
tollbooth, tower, tower of strength, training school, transfix,
treasure, treasure up, undergird, underwrite, upbear, uphold,
upkeep, victual, wall in, ward, watch over, wear, wear well,
withhold, yield
The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906):
KEEP, v.t.
He willed away his whole estate,
And then in death he fell asleep,
Murmuring: "Well, at any rate,
My name unblemished I shall keep."
But when upon the tomb 'twas wrought
Whose was it? -- for the dead keep naught.
Durang Gophel Arn