English Explanatory Dictionary

keep

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To continue in (a course or mode of action); to not intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain.
  2. To remain faithful to a given promise or word.
  3. To hold the status of something.
  4. To maintain possession of.
  5. To maintain the condition of; to preserve in a certain state.
  6. To record transactions, accounts, or events in.
  7. To enter (accounts, records, etc.) in a book.
  8. To remain in; to be confined to.
  9. To restrain.
  10. To watch over, look after, guard, protect.
  11. To supply with necessities and financially support (a person).
  12. To raise; to care for.
noun
  1. The main tower of a castle or fortress, located within the castle walls.
  2. The food or money required to keep someone alive and healthy; one's support, maintenance.
  3. The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition; case.
  4. A cap for holding something, such as a journal box, in place.
  5. The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed; charge; notice.
  6. That which is kept in charge; a charge.
  7. A mistress (the other woman in an extramarital relationship, generally including sexual relations).
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

kēp /kiːp/ [kiːp] [kʰɪjp] [k̟çi(ː)p] [k(ʰ)i(ː)p] LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-keep.wav en-us-keep.ogg en-au-keep.ogg

Word forms

keep keeps keeping kept no-table-tags glossary keepest keptst keptest keepeth keepe

Etymology

From Middle English kepen (“to keep, guard, look after, watch”), from Old English cēpan (“to seize, hold, observe”), from Proto-West Germanic *kōpijan, from Proto-Germanic *kōpijaną (“to look, heed, watch, observe”) (compare West Frisian kypje (“to look”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵab-, *ǵāb- (“to look after”) (compare Lithuanian žẽbti (“to eat reluctantly”), Russian забо́та (zabóta, “care, worry”)). The dialectal sense of the verb meaning “to put back” or “put away” may be analyzed as a semantic loan from a local language—compare Welsh cadw and Mandarin 收 (shōu).

Synonyms

fullfill hold honor retain preserve protect donjon

Related words

for keeps donjon

Derived words

a man is known by the company he keeps an apple a day keeps the doctor at bay an apple a day keeps the doctor away book-keep don't keep a dog and bark yourself gatekeep gate-keep gift that keeps on giving how are you keeping keepability keepable keep a civil tongue keep a civil tongue in one's head keep a civil tongue in one's mouth keep a close watch keep a cool head keep across keep a dog and bark oneself keep ahead keep a lid on keepalive keep a look-out keep a lookout keep a low profile keep an act keep an eye on keep an eye open keep an eye out keep an eye peeled keep an eye skinned keep apace keep around keep at keep at arm's length keep a tight rein on keep a watch out keep away keep-away keep away from keep a weather eye open keep back keep body and soul together keep cave keep company keep counsel keep count keep cup keep down keep faith keep fit keep from keep going keep good hours keep good time keep hope alive keep house keepie-uppie keepy-uppy keep in keep in mind
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on K Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary