keep /kēp/

1. To tend, look after
2. To have or take care or charge of
3. To guard
4. To maintain
5. To manage, conduct, run
6. To attend to the making of records in
7. To retain
8. To retain as one's own
9. To have in one's custody
10. To store customarily in a specified place
11. To have habitually in stock for sale
12. To support financially, or otherwise supply with necessaries
13. To have in one's service
14. To remain in or on (a place or position)
15. To adhere to
16. To associate with
17. To continue to follow or hold to
18. To continue to make
19. To maintain a hold on or of
20. To restrain from leaving, to hold back
21. To prevent
22. To reserve or withhold
23. Not to divulge (a secret)
24. To be faithful to (a promise)
25. To preserve or cause to remain in a certain state
26. To observe, celebrate
27. To conform to the requirements of, to fulfil

1. To remain
2. To continue to be or go
3. To be or remain in a specified condition
4. To remain fresh or good
5. To last or endure
6. To be capable of being reserved
7. To continue
8. To lodge or reside (Cambridge University and US)
9. To refrain
10. To confine or restrict oneself
11. To keep wicket

1. Something kept, one's charge (Spenser)
2. Something that keeps, contains or protects
3. Food, means of subsistence, board
4. The innermost and strongest part of a castle, the central tower
5. A stronghold

keepˈable adjective

keepˈer noun

1. Someone who or something that keeps, in any sense
2. An attendant in charge of animals in captivity
3. A custodian of a museum or gallery
4. A prison guard
5. A gamekeeper
6. The title of certain officials, such as Lord Keeper (of the Great Seal), whose office since 1757 has been merged in that of Lord Chancellor
7. A wicketkeeper
8. A goalkeeper
9. A man who keeps a mistress (obsolete)
10. The socket that receives the bolt of a lock
11. The armature of a magnet
12. A guard ring
13. (informal, chiefly US) a person or thing worth holding on to

keepˈerless adjective

keepˈership noun

The office of a keeper

keepˈing noun

1. Care, custody, charge
2. Preservation
3. Reservation
4. Retention
5. Observance, compliance
6. Just proportion
7. Harmonious consistency
8. Maintenance of, or as, a mistress
9. Maintenance, support (Shakespeare)

keep fit noun

A programme of physical exercises designed to keep the muscles, circulation and respiratory system in good condition

keep-fitˈ adjective

keepˈing-room noun (dialect)

A sitting room, parlour

keepˈnet noun

A cone-shaped net suspended in a river, etc, in which fish caught by anglers can be kept alive

keepˈsake noun

1. Something given, or kept, as a reminder of the giver, or a certain event, time, etc
2. An annual gift-book (such as The Keepsake itself, 1827–56)

adjective

(also keepˈsaky) vapidly pretty

keepˈy-uppˈy noun

The feat of keeping a football from touching the ground by repeatedly flicking it upwards using the foot, knee or head

kept man or (fem) kept woman noun

A man or woman maintained financially by a romantic or sexual partner

for keeps

1. For good
2. Permanently
3. With serious intent

how are you keeping?

How are you?

in keeping with

In accord with, suitable to

keep an act

Formerly, to hold an academic debate

keep at

1. To persist in (anything)
2. To nag, badger (someone to do something) (informal)

keep a term see under term

keep back

1. To withhold
2. To keep down, repress

keep body and soul together

To stay alive

keep cave, company and counsel see under cave², etc.

keep down

1. To remain low or out of sight
2. To restrain, repress
3. To retain (food) in the stomach, not to vomit
4. To set in lower-case type, avoiding capitals

keep from

1. To abstain from
2. To remain away from

keep good hours see under hour

keep house see under house

keep in

1. To prevent from escaping
2. To confine in school after school hours
3. To conceal
4. To restrain

keep in with

To maintain the confidence or friendship of

keep off

1. To hinder or prevent from approaching or making an attack, etc
2. To stay away or refrain from
3. (of rain, etc) not to start

keep on

1. To continue
2. To retain, continue to employ

keep on about

To continue talking about

keep on at (informal)

To nag, badger

keep one's breath to cool one's porridge

To hold one's peace when further talk is clearly in vain

keep one's countenance

To avoid showing one's emotions

keep one's distance see under distance

keep (oneself) to oneself

To avoid the company of others

keep one's eye on see under eye¹

keep one's hand in

To retain one's skill by practice

keep one's head down

To avoid attracting attention to oneself

keep one's mind on

To concentrate on

keep one's powder dry see under powder

keep out

1. To remain outside
2. To exclude

keep someone going in something

To keep someone supplied with something

keep tabs on

To keep a check on, to keep account of

• rheological
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• rheologist
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• rheostatic
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• rheotaxis
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