keep

• keepe (obsolete)

• enPR: kēp, IPA^(key): /kiːp/, [kʰip̚]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːp

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”)).

keep (third-person singular simple present keeps, present participle keeping, simple past and past participle kept)

1. (transitive) To continue in (a course or mode of action); to not intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain.

   to keep silence;  to keep possession

2. (transitive) To remain faithful to a given promise or word.

     to keep one's word;  to keep one's promise

   Synonym: fullfill

   • c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

     Both day and night did we keep company.

   • 1749, [Tobias George Smollett], The Regicide: Or, James the First, of Scotland. A Tragedy. […], London: […] [F]or the benefit of the author, →OCLC, Act V, scene v, page 70:

     Within the Portal as I kept my Watch, / Swift gliding Shadows by the glimm'ring Moon, I could perceive in Forms of armed Men, / Poſſeſſ the Space that borders on the Porch— […]

3. (transitive) To hold the status of something.
   1. To maintain possession of.

      I keep a small stock of painkillers for emergencies.

   2. (ditransitive) To maintain the condition of; to preserve in a certain state.

      I keep my specimens under glass to protect them.

      The abundance of squirrels kept the dogs running for hours.

      • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter X, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

        Mr. Cooke had had a sloop yacht built at Far Harbor, the completion of which had been delayed, and which was but just delivered. […] The Maria had a cabin, which was finished in hard wood and yellow plush, and accommodations for keeping things cold.

      • 1935, George Goodchild, chapter 1, in Death on the Centre Court:

        She mixed furniture with the same fatal profligacy as she mixed drinks, and this outrageous contact between things which were intended by Nature to be kept poles apart gave her an inexpressible thrill.

   3. (transitive) To record transactions, accounts, or events in.

      I used to keep a diary.

   4. (transitive) To enter (accounts, records, etc.) in a book.
   5. (archaic) To remain in; to be confined to.
      • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

        Metrocles somewhat indiscreetly, as he was disputing in his Schole, in presence of his auditory, let a fart, for shame whereof he afterwards kept his house and could not be drawen abroad […].

      • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

        The wrathful skies / Gallow the very wanderers of the dark / And make them keep their caves.

      • 1789, John Moore, Zeluco, Valancourt, published 2008, page 71:

        The following day she was so ill that she kept her bed; the husband went not once to enquire for her, nor did he send any message: he also kept his apartment, and was heard walking backwards and forwards with a hurried pace the whole of that day.

      • 1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, “(please specify the page)”, in The Poison Belt […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

        "As I sat alone at my breakfast--Mrs. Challenger is in the habit of keeping her room of a morning--it suddenly entered my head that it would be entertaining and instructive to see whether I could find any limits to this woman's inperturbability."

   6. To restrain.

      I keep my pet gerbil away from my brother.

      Don't let me keep you; I know you have things to be doing.

   7. (with from) To watch over, look after, guard, protect.

      May the Lord keep you from harm.

      • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

        cursse on thy cruell hond, / That twise hath sped; yet shall it not thee keepe / From the third brunt of this my fatall brond […]

   8. To supply with necessities and financially support (a person).

      He kept a mistress for over ten years.

   9. (of living things) To raise; to care for.

      He has been keeping orchids since retiring.

      • 1914, Robert Joos, Success with Hens, Forbes & company, page 217:

        Of course boys are boys and need watching, but there is little watching necessary when they keep chickens.

      • 2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in The Guardian:

        Jailing her on Wednesday, magistrate Liz Clyne told Robins: "You have shown little remorse either for the death of the kitten or the trauma to your former friend Sarah Knutton." She was also banned from keeping animals for 10 years.

   10. To refrain from freely disclosing (a secret).
       • 2012, Anthony Reyes, Melissa Sheppard, “Leave the Lights On”, in The Bright Side‎^[1], performed by Meiko:

         I know that it's a secret / And that I gotta keep it / But I want the lights on / Yeah, I want the lights on

   11. To maintain (an establishment or institution); to conduct; to manage.
       • c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

         like a pedant that keeps a school

       • 1630, John Hayward, The Life, and Raigne of King Edward the Sixt‎^[2], London: John Partridge, page 114:

         They were honourably accompanied and with great estate brought to London, where euery of them kept house by himselfe.

       • 1892, Walter Besant, chapter III, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:

         At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors. […] In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.

   12. To have habitually in stock for sale.
4. (intransitive) To hold or be held in a state.
   1. (obsolete) To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell.

      She kept to her bed while the fever lasted.

      • c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

        Knock at his study, where, they say, he keeps, / To ruminate strange plots of dire revenge; […]

   2. To continue.

      I keep taking the tablets, but to no avail.

      • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

        Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part. […] Next day she […] tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head. Then, thwarted, the wretched creature went to the police for help; she was versed in the law, and had perhaps spared no pains to keep on good terms with the local constabulary.

      • 2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:

        Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […] But the scandals kept coming, and so we entered stage three – what therapists call "bargaining". A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches.

   3. To remain edible or otherwise usable.

      Potatoes can keep if they are in a root cellar.

      Latex paint won't keep indefinitely.

      • 1707, John Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry‎^[3]:

        If the malt be not thoroughly dried, the ale it makes will not keep.

   4. (copulative) To remain in a state.

      The rabbit avoided detection by keeping still.

      Keep calm! There's no need to panic.

5. (obsolete) To wait for, keep watch for.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter X, in Le Morte Darthur, book VIII (in Middle English):

     And thenne whan the damoysel knewe certaynly that he was not syre launcelot / thenne she took her leue and departed from hym / And thenne syre Trystram rode pryuely vnto the posterne where kepte hym la beale Isoud / and there she made hym good chere and thanked god of his good spede

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

6. (intransitive, cricket) To act as wicket-keeper.

   Godfrey Evans kept for England for many years.

7. (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^[4], London: John Day, published 1573, page 384:

     […] kepe that the lustes choke not the word of God that is sowen in vs,

8. (intransitive, obsolete) To be in session; to take place.

   School keeps today.

9. (transitive) To observe; to adhere to; to fulfill; to not swerve from or violate.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Timothy 4:7:

     I have kept the faith: […]

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 1271–1272:

     Be strong, live happie, and love, but first of all / Him whom to love is to obey, and keep / His great command; […]

10. (transitive, dated, by extension) To visit (a place) often; to frequent.
    • c. 1608, John Fletcher, The Faithful Shepherdess‎^[5], Act III, Scene 1:

      […] 'tis hallowed ground;
      No Maid seeks here her strayed Cow, or Sheep,
      Fairies, and fawns, and satyrs do it keep:

11. (transitive, dated) To observe or celebrate (a holiday).

    to keep the Sabbath

    The feast of St. Stephen is kept on December 26.

    • 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave I. Marley’s Ghost.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 8:

      "Nephew!" returned the uncle sternly, "keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine."

    • 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 288:

      "Oh, we are from Osthalla," says one of them, "we are going to the Veien dairy to keep the wedding; the one who drives in front is the parson, next are the bride and bridegroom, and I am his father-in-law."

• (maintain possession of): retain
• (maintain the condition of): preserve, protect
• (to reside for a time): See also Thesaurus:sojourn

English terms starting with “keep”

• for keeps

From Middle English kepe, kep, from the verb (see above).

keep (countable and uncountable, plural keeps)

1. (historical) The main tower of a castle or fortress, located within the castle walls.

   Synonym: donjon

2. The food or money required to keep someone alive and healthy; one's support, maintenance.

   He works as a cobbler's apprentice for his keep.

3. (obsolete) The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed; charge; notice.
   • 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum XXIII”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book VII, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:

     So Sir Gareth strayned hym so that his olde wounde braste ayen on bledynge; but he was hote and corragyous and toke no kepe, but with his grete forse he strake downe the knyght […].

     So Sir Gareth strained him, so that his old wound brast again a-bleeding; but he was hot and courageous and took no keep, but with his great force he struck down the knight […].

   • 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “December. Ægloga Duodecima.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC:

     Pan, thou god of shepherds all, / Which of our tender lambkins takest keep.

4. The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition; case.

   to be in good keep

5. (obsolete) That which is kept in charge; a charge.
   • 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “Iuly. Ægloga Septima.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC:

     Often he used of his keep / A sacrifice to bring.

6. (engineering) A cap for holding something, such as a journal box, in place.

• earn one's keep

• donjon

• Ekpe, PEEK, Peek, Peke, kepe, peek, peke

From English keep.

keep (Hong Kong Cantonese)

1. to keep; to maintain possession of
2. to keep; to maintain condition of; to preserve
3. (sports) to mark or guard a player from the opposing team

• keeper

• English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese

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”).

• kip

• IPA^(key): /keːp/
• Hyphenation: keep
• Rhymes: -eːp
• Homophone: cape

keep f (plural kepen, diminutive keepje n)

1. notch, carven mark

   Synonyms: inkeping, kerf

• Afrikaans: keep

Unknown, but possibly related to German Kepf (“bird of prey”).

West Frisian keepfink (“bramblefinch”) is likely an adapted borrowing of the Dutch.

• IPA^(key): /keːp/
• Hyphenation: keep
• Rhymes: -eːp
• Homophone: cape

keep m (plural kepen, diminutive keepje n)

1. the brambling, Fringilla montifringilla

• keep (vogel) on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^nl

Clipping of keeper.

• IPA^(key): /kip/
• Hyphenation: keep
• Rhymes: -ip
• Homophone: kiep

keep m (plural keeps)

1. (ball games, chiefly soccer, colloquial) Synonym of keeper

From German Cape.

keep (genitive keebi, partitive keepi)

1. cloak, capote, gaberdine

Declension of keep (ÕS type 22e/riik, p-b gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		keep	keebid
accusative	nom.
	gen.	keebi
genitive			keepide
partitive		keepi	keepe keepisid
illative		keepi keebisse	keepidesse keebesse
inessive		keebis	keepides keebes
elative		keebist	keepidest keebest
allative		keebile	keepidele keebele
adessive		keebil	keepidel keebel
ablative		keebilt	keepidelt keebelt
translative		keebiks	keepideks keebeks
terminative		keebini	keepideni
essive		keebina	keepidena
abessive		keebita	keepideta
comitative		keebiga	keepidega

• kep, kepe, koep

From the verb kepen (“to keep, to care about”).

• IPA^(key): /keːp/

keep (uncountable)

1. heed, notice, note, observance

   taken keep ― to take note

   • c. 1368, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Book of the Duchess, as recorded c. 1440–1450 in Bodleian Library MS. Fairfax 16, folio 130r:

     I have so many an ydel thoght / Purely for defaulte of slepe / That by my trouthe I take no kepe / Of noo thinge how hyt cometh or gooth / Ne me nys no thynge leve nor looth

     I have so many idle thoughts / Purely from lack of sleep / That I swear I take no heed / Of anything, whether it comes or goes, / And nothing is either dear to me or hated.

   • 1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “Here Bygynneth the Book of the Tales of Caunt́burẏ”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published [c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 8, recto, lines 503-4:

     And shame it is, if a preest take keep
     A shiten shepherde, and a clene sheep

     And—if a priest may take note—it’s a shame:
     A shit-stained shepherd and a clean sheep.

2. care, concern
3. service, attendance, care
4. obedience, deference
5. caution, precaution, vigilance

• English: keep

• “kẹ̄p, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2023-11-10.

From Middle English kepen, from Old English cēpan, from Proto-West Germanic *kōpijaną.

• IPA^(key): /kiːp/

keep

1. to keep
   • 1867, “SONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 6, page 108:

     Shoo zent him anoor die a gozleen to keep;

     She sent him another day the goslings to keep;

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) 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, published 1867, page 108

• IPA^(key): /keːp˩/

keep (plural keepoʼob)

1. (anatomy) penis

• toon