keep
Entry from World dictionary
Pronunciation:/kiːp/
verb (past and past participle kept /kɛpt/)
[with object]- 1 have or retain possession of:my father would keep the best for himself she had trouble keeping her balance
- retain or reserve for future use:return one copy to me, keeping the other for your files
- put or store in a regular place:the stand where her umbrella was kept
- 2 continue or cause to continue in a specified condition, position , course , etc.:[no object, with complement] :I kept quiet while Emily talked on keep left along the wall [with object and complement] :she might be kept alive artificially by machinery
- [no object, with present participle] continue doing or do repeatedly:he keeps going on about the murder
- [no object] (of a perishable commodity) remain in good condition
- [with object] retain one's place in or on (a seat or saddle, the ground , etc.) in spite of difficulty
- [no object, with adverbial] chiefly British be in a specified state of health:he had not been keeping well
- [with object] cause to be late; delay:I won‘t keep you, I know you’ve got a busy evening
- [with object and present participle] make (someone) do something for a period of time:I have kept her waiting too long
- archaic continue to follow (a path or course)
- 3 provide for the sustenance of (someone):he had to keep his large family in the manner he had chosen
- provide (someone) with a regular supply of a commodity:the money should keep him in cigarettes for a week
- own and look after (an animal) for pleasure or profit
- own and manage (a shop or business)
- guard; protect:his only thought is to keep the boy from harm
- support (someone, especially a woman) financially in return for sexual favours
- 4 honour or fulfil (a commitment or undertaking):I'll keep my promise, naturally
- observe (a religious occasion) in the prescribed manner:today's consumers do not keep the Sabbath
- pay due regard to (a law or custom)
- 5 make written entries in (a diary) on a regular basis
- write down as (a record):keep a note of each item
noun
- 1 [mass noun] food, clothes, and other essentials for living:the Society are paying for your keep
- the cost of the essentials for living
- 2 [mass noun] archaic charge ; control:if from shepherd's keep a lamb strayed far
- 3 the strongest or central tower of a castle, acting as a final refuge

Phrases
you can't keep a good man (or woman) down
- informal a competent person will always recover well from setbacks
for keeps
- informal permanently; indefinitely
keep one's feet
- manage not to fall
keep goal
- chiefly Socceract as a goalkeeper
keep going
- make an effort to live normally in spite of difficulty
keep to oneself
- avoid contact with others
keep something to oneself
- refuse to disclose or share something
keep up with the Joneses
- see Joneses
Phrasal Verbs
keep at (or keep someone at)
- persist (or force someone to persist) with:it was the best part of a day's work but I kept at it
keep away (or keep someone away)
- stay away (or make someone stay away):keep away from the edge of the cliff
keep back (or keep someone/thing back)
- remain (or cause someone or something to remain) at a distance:he had kept back from the river when he could
keep someone back
- North American make a pupil repeat a year at school because of poor marks
keep something back
- retain or withhold something:he kept back £5 for himself
- decline to disclose something
keep down
- stay hidden by crouching or lying down
keep someone down
- 1 make a pupil repeat a year at school because of poor marks
- 2 cause someone to remain in a state of oppression or subjection
keep something down
- 1 cause something to remain at a low level:the population of aphids is normally kept down by other animals
- 2 retain food or drink in one's stomach without vomiting
keep from (or keep someone from)
- avoid (or cause someone to avoid) doing something:Dinah bit her lips to keep from screaming
keep something from
- 1 cause something to remain a secret from (someone)
- 2 cause something to stay out of:she could not keep the dismay from her voice
keep in with
- remain on good terms with (someone)
keep someone in
- confine someone indoors or in a particular place:he should be kept in overnight for observation
keep something in
- restrain oneself from expressing a feeling:he wanted to make me mad, but I kept it all in
keep off
- 1 avoid encroaching on or touching
- avoid consuming or smoking:the first thing was to keep off alcohol
- avoid (a subject)
- 2 (of bad weather) fail to occur
keep someone/thing off
- prevent someone or something from encroaching on or touching:keep your hands off me
keep someone off
- prevent someone from attending (school)
keep on
- continue to do something:he kept on moving
keep on about
- speak about (something) repeatedly
keep on at
- British annoy (someone) by making frequent requests:he'd kept on at her, wanting her to go out with him
keep someone/thing on
- continue to use or employ someone or something
keep out (or keep someone/thing out)
- remain (or cause someone or something to remain) outside
keep to
- avoid leaving (a path, road, or place)
- adhere to (a schedule)
- observe (a promise)
- confine or restrict oneself to:nothing is more irritating than people who do not keep to the point
keep someone under
- cause someone to remain in a state of oppression or subjection:the local people are kept under by the army
keep up (also keep up with)
- 1 move or progress at the same rate as someone or something else:often they had to pause to allow him to keep up
- 2 meet a commitment to pay or do something regularly:if you do not keep up with the payments, the loan company can make you sell your home
keep up with
- learn about or be aware of (current events or developments)
- continue to be in contact with (someone)
keep someone up
- prevent someone from going to bed or to sleep
keep something up
- continue a course of action:keep up the good work
- keep something in an efficient or proper state:the rector could not afford to keep up the grounds
- make something remain at a high level:he was whistling to keep up his spirits
Derivatives
keepable
adjective

Origin:
late Old English cēpan ‘seize, take in’, also ‘care for, attend to’, of unknown origin
Meaning
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