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Meaning of keep in English
Pronunciation
/kip/
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Verb
keep
Etymology
late Old English cēpan ‘seize, take in’, also ‘care for, attend to’, of unknown origin
Definitions
1.
keep in a certain state, position, or activity
Examples
« e.g., keep clean »
« hold in place »
« She always held herself as a lady »
« The students keep me on my toes »
2.
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
Examples
« Keep on working! »
« We continued to work into the night »
« Keep smiling »
« We went on working until well past midnight »
Antonyms
discontinue
3.
retain possession of
Examples
« Can I keep my old stuffed animals? »
« She kept her maiden name after she married »
Antonyms
lose
4.
prevent from doing something or being in a certain state
Examples
« We must prevent the cancer from spreading »
« His snoring kept me from falling asleep »
« Keep the child from eating the marbles »
Antonyms
let
allow
permit
5.
conform one's action or practice to
Examples
« keep appointments »
« she never keeps her promises »
« We kept to the original conditions of the contract »
6.
observe correctly or closely
Examples
« The pianist kept time with the metronome »
« keep count »
« I cannot keep track of all my employees »
7.
look after
Examples
« be the keeper of »
« have charge of »
« He keeps the shop when I am gone »
8.
maintain by writing regular records
Examples
« keep a diary »
« maintain a record »
« keep notes »
9.
supply with room and board
Examples
« He is keeping three women in the guest cottage »
« keep boarders »
10.
allow to remain in a place or position
Examples
« 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 »
11.
supply with necessities and support
Examples
« She alone sustained her family »
« The money will sustain our good cause »
« There's little to earn and many to keep »
12.
fail to spoil or rot
Examples
« These potatoes keep for a long time »
13.
celebrate, as of holidays or rites
Examples
« Keep the commandments »
« celebrate Christmas »
« Observe Yom Kippur »
14.
keep under control
Examples
« keep in check »
« suppress a smile »
« Keep your temper »
« keep your cool »
15.
maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger
Examples
« May God keep you »
16.
raise
Examples
« She keeps a few chickens in the yard »
« he keeps bees »
17.
retain rights to
Examples
« keep my job for me while I give birth »
« keep my seat, please »
« keep open the possibility of a merger »
18.
store or keep customarily
Examples
« Where do you keep your gardening tools? »
19.
have as a supply
Examples
« 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
Examples
« I keep a car in the countryside »
« She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips »
21.
hold and prevent from leaving
Examples
« The student was kept after school »
22.
prevent (food) from rotting
Examples
« preserved meats »
« keep potatoes fresh »
Noun
keep
Definitions
1.
the financial means whereby one lives
Examples
« each child was expected to pay for their keep »
« he applied to the state for support »
« he could no longer earn his own livelihood »
2.
the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress
3.
a cell in a jail or prison