English Online Dictionary. What means keep? What does keep mean?
English
Alternative forms
- keepe (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English kepen (“to keep, guard, look after, watch”), from Old English cēpan (“to seize, hold, observe”), from Proto-Germanic *kōpijaną (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”)).
Pronunciation
- enPR: kēp, IPA(key): /kiːp/, [kʰip̚]
- Rhymes: -iːp
Verb
keep (third-person singular simple present keeps, present participle keeping, simple past and past participle kept)
- To continue in (a course or mode of action); to not intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain.
- To remain faithful to a given promise or word.
- Synonym: fullfill
- (transitive) To hold the status of something.
- To maintain possession of.
- (ditransitive) To maintain the condition of; to preserve in a certain state.
- (transitive) To record transactions, accounts, or events in.
- (transitive) To enter (accounts, records, etc.) in a book.
- (archaic) To remain in; to be confined to.
- To restrain.
- (with from) To watch over, look after, guard, protect.
- To supply with necessities and financially support (a person).
- (of living things) To raise; to care for.
- To refrain from freely disclosing (a secret).
- To maintain (an establishment or institution); to conduct; to manage.
- To have habitually in stock for sale.
- To maintain possession of.
- (intransitive) To hold or be held in a state.
- (obsolete) To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell.
- To continue.
- To remain edible or otherwise usable.
- (copulative) To remain in a state.
- (obsolete) To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell.
- (obsolete) To wait for, keep watch for.
- (intransitive, cricket) To act as wicket-keeper.
- (intransitive, obsolete) To take care; to be solicitous; to watch.
- c. 1530, William Tyndale, A Pathway into the holy Scripture in The Whole Workes of W. Tyndall, Iohn Frith, and Doct. Barnes, London: John Day, 1573, p. 384,[5]
- […] kepe that the lustes choke not the word of God that is sowen in vs,
- c. 1530, William Tyndale, A Pathway into the holy Scripture in The Whole Workes of W. Tyndall, Iohn Frith, and Doct. Barnes, London: John Day, 1573, p. 384,[5]
- (intransitive, obsolete) To be in session; to take place.
- (transitive) To observe; to adhere to; to fulfill; to not swerve from or violate.
- (transitive, dated, by extension) To visit (a place) often; to frequent.
- c. 1608, John Fletcher, The Faithful Shepherdess, Act III, Scene 1,[6]
- […] 'tis hallowed ground;
- No Maid seeks here her strayed Cow, or Sheep,
- Fairies, and fawns, and satyrs do it keep:
- c. 1608, John Fletcher, The Faithful Shepherdess, Act III, Scene 1,[6]
- (transitive, dated) To observe or celebrate (a holiday).
Synonyms
- (maintain possession of): retain
- (maintain the condition of): preserve, protect
- (to reside for a time): See also Thesaurus:sojourn
Derived terms
Pages starting with “keep”.
Related terms
- for keeps
Translations
Noun
keep (countable and uncountable, plural keeps)
- (historical) The main tower of a castle or fortress, located within the castle walls.
- Synonym: donjon
- The food or money required to keep someone alive and healthy; one's support, maintenance.
- (obsolete) The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed; charge; notice.
- The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition; case.
- (obsolete) That which is kept in charge; a charge.
-
- (engineering) A cap for holding something, such as a journal box, in place.
Derived terms
- earn one's keep
Translations
See also
- donjon
Anagrams
- Ekpe, PEEK, Peek, Peke, kepe, peek, peke
Chinese
Etymology
From English keep.
Pronunciation
Verb
keep (Hong Kong Cantonese)
- to keep; to maintain possession of
- to keep; to maintain condition of; to preserve
- (sports) to mark or guard a player from the opposing team
Derived terms
Related terms
- keeper
References
- English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese
Dutch
Etymology 1
From Middle Dutch *kēp, *kip, from Old Dutch *kip (compare Old Dutch kip (“fetter”)), from Proto-West Germanic *kipp- (“to cut, split”), from Proto-Germanic *kipp- (“to split”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵey- (“to split, divide, geminate, sprout”). Cognate with Middle Low German kēp ("notch, incision"; > German Low German Keep (“score, notch, nick”)), Old English ċipp (“shaving, chip”).
Alternative forms
- kip
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /keːp/
- Hyphenation: keep
- Rhymes: -eːp
- Homophone: cape
Noun
keep f (plural kepen, diminutive keepje n)
- notch, carven mark
- Synonyms: inkeping, kerf
Etymology 2
Unknown, but possibly related to German Kepf (“bird of prey”).
West Frisian keepfink (“bramblefinch”) is likely an adapted borrowing of the Dutch.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /keːp/
- Hyphenation: keep
- Rhymes: -eːp
- Homophone: cape
Noun
keep m (plural kepen, diminutive keepje n)
- The brambling, Fringilla montifringilla
Further reading
- keep (vogel) on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia nl
Etymology 3
Clipping of keeper.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kip/
- Hyphenation: keep
- Rhymes: -ip
- Homophone: kiep
Noun
keep m (plural keeps)
- (ball games, chiefly soccer, colloquial) Synonym of keeper
Estonian
Etymology
From German Cape.
Noun
keep (genitive keebi, partitive keepi)
- cloak, capote, gaberdine
Declension
Middle English
Noun
keep
- notice; note; observance
- take keep — “take note”
-
- A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep
Yola
Etymology
From Middle English kepen, from Old English cēpan, from Proto-West Germanic *kōpijaną.
Verb
keep
- to keep
References
- Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, page 108
Yucatec Maya
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /keːp˩/
Noun
keep (plural keepoʼob)
- (anatomy) penis
Synonyms
- toon