Definitions of keep [kip]

Translate keep to

Definition of 'keep'

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

1. (v.t.) keep
to hold or retain in one's possession, either permanently or temporarily.

2.  keep
to hold in a given place; put or store:
to keep mints in a dish.

3.  keep
to maintain (some action), as in accordance with duty:
to keep watch.

4.  keep
to cause to continue in a given position, state, course, or action:
to keep a light burning.

5.  keep
to maintain in condition or order:
to keep a lawn mowed.

6.  keep
to maintain in usable or edible condition; preserve:
to keep meat by freezing it.

7.  keep
to hold in custody or under guard, as a prisoner.

8.  keep
to cause to stay in a particular place; detain:
The work kept me at the office.

9.  keep
to have readily available for use or sale:
to keep machine parts in stock.

10.  keep
to maintain in one's service or for one's use:
to keep a car and chauffeur.

11.  keep
to associate with:
to keep bad company.

12.  keep
to have the care, charge, or custody of:
She keeps my dog when I travel.

13.  keep
to refrain from disclosing:
to keep a secret.

14.  keep
to withhold, as from use; reserve:
to keep the best wine for guests.

15.  keep
to restrain or prevent, as from an action:
to keep a pipe from leaking.

16.  keep
to control; regulate:
to keep one's temper.

17.  keep
to maintain by writing:
to keep a diary.

18.  keep
to record regularly or consistently:
to keep attendance figures.

19.  keep
to observe; obey or fulfill (a law, rule, promise, etc.).

20.  keep
to observe (a season, festival, etc.) with formalities or rites.

21.  keep
to maintain or carry on, as an establishment or business; manage.

22.  keep
to guard; protect:
He kept her from harm.

23.  keep
to maintain or support:
Can you keep a family on those wages?

24.  keep
to take care of; tend:
to keep an herb garden.

25.  keep
to raise and provide for the care of as owner:
to keep goats.

26.  keep
to remain in (a place, spot, etc.):
Please keep your seats.

27.  keep
to maintain one's position in or on:
to keep a job.

28.  keep
to continue to follow (a path, course, etc.).

29. (v.i.) keep
to continue in an action, course, position, or state:
to keep going; to keep calm.

30.  keep
to remain in a particular place:
to keep indoors.

31.  keep
to continue without damage or spoilage:
Will the milk keep for another day?

32.  keep
to admit of being reserved for a future occasion:
The rest of the story will keep.

33.  keep
to stay as specified (fol. by away, back, off, out, etc.):
Keep off the grass.

34.  keep
to restrain oneself; refrain (usu. fol. by from):
Try to keep from smiling.

35.  keep
keep at, to persevere in.

36.  keep
keep back,

37.  keep
to hold in check; restrain.

38.  keep
to stay away from.

39.  keep
keep down,

40.  keep
to maintain at an acceptable level; control.

41.  keep
to prevent from advancing or flourishing.

42.  keep
to avoid regurgitation of.

43.  keep
keep on, to persevere.

44.  keep
keep to,

45.  keep
to conform to:
to keep to the rules.

46.  keep
to confine oneself to:
to keep to one's bed.

47.  keep
keep up,

48.  keep
to perform as swiftly or successfully as others.

49.  keep
to persevere; continue.

50.  keep
to maintain in good condition or repair.

51.  keep
to stay informed.

52. (n.) keep
board and lodging; support.

53.  keep
the innermost and strongest structure or central tower of a medieval castle; dungeon.

54.  keep
with the understanding that winnings are retained by the winner.

55.  keep
with serious intent or purpose.

56.  keep
permanently; forever.

57.  keep
to remain aloof from the society of others.

58.  keep
to hold (something) as secret or confidential.

Etymology: (bef. 1000; ME kepen, OE cēpan to observe, heed, watch, take)

Definition of 'keep'

Princeton's WordNet

1. (noun) support, keep, livelihood, living, bread and butter, sustenance
the financial means whereby one lives
"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. (noun) keep, donjon, dungeon
the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress

3. (verb) hold, keep
a cell in a jail or prison

4. (verb) keep, maintain, hold
keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep clean"
"hold in place"; "She always held herself as a lady"; "The students keep me on my toes"

5. (verb) continue, go on, proceed, go along, keep
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
"Keep on working!"; "We continued to work into the night"; "Keep smiling"; "We went on working until well past midnight"

6. (verb) keep, hold on
retain possession of
"Can I keep my old stuffed animals?"; "She kept her maiden name after she married"

7. (verb) prevent, keep
stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state
"We must prevent the cancer from spreading"; "His snoring kept me from falling asleep"; "Keep the child from eating the marbles"

8. (verb) observe, keep
conform one's action or practice to
"keep appointments"; "she never keeps her promises"; "We kept to the original conditions of the contract"

9. (verb) observe, keep, maintain
stick to correctly or closely
"The pianist kept time with the metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all my employees"

10. (verb) keep
look after; be the keeper of; have charge of
"He keeps the shop when I am gone"

11. (verb) keep, maintain
maintain by writing regular records
"keep a diary"; "maintain a record"; "keep notes"

12. (verb) keep
supply with room and board
"He is keeping three women in the guest cottage"; "keep boarders"

13. (verb) retain, continue, keep, keep on
allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature
"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 work going as long as we could"; "She retained her composure"; "this garment retains its shape even after many washings"

14. (verb) sustain, keep, maintain
supply with necessities and support
"She alone sustained her family"; "The money will sustain our good cause"; "There's little to earn and many to keep"

15. (verb) keep, stay fresh
fail to spoil or rot
"These potatoes keep for a long time"

16. (verb) observe, celebrate, keep
behave as expected during of holidays or rites
"Keep the commandments"; "celebrate Christmas"; "Observe Yom Kippur"

17. (verb) restrain, keep, keep back, hold back
keep under control; keep in check
"suppress a smile"; "Keep your temper"; "keep your cool"

18. (verb) keep, preserve
maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger
"May God keep you"

19. (verb) keep
raise
"She keeps a few chickens in the yard"; "he keeps bees"

20. (verb) keep open, hold open, keep, save
retain rights to
"keep my job for me while I give birth"; "keep my seat, please"; "keep open the possibility of a merger"

21. (verb) keep
store or keep customarily
"Where do you keep your gardening tools?"

22. (verb) keep
have as a supply
"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"

23. (verb) keep, maintain
maintain for use and service
"I keep a car in the countryside"; "She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips"

24. (verb) keep
hold and prevent from leaving
"The student was kept after school"

25. (verb) preserve, keep
prevent (food) from rotting
"preserved meats"; "keep potatoes fresh"

Definition of 'keep'

Kernerman English Learner’s Dictionary

1. (verb) keep
to stay or make stay in a position or state
penguins standing together to keep warm; a toy to keep the baby happy; Keep away from the fire.; We were kept waiting for hours.; You're keeping the baby awake/up!

2.  keep
Keep Out!
used on signs to tell people not to enter a place

3.  keep
to not give back or not throw away
I let her keep the picture.; She kept his letters until she died.

4.  keep
to do sth repeatedly or continually
The fridge keeps making a funny noise.; She kept telling him to stop.

5.  keep
to store sth somewhere
We keep the tools in that drawer.

6.  keep
to make a record of data or information
They kept a record of every change in the numbers.; kids who keep diaries

7.  keep
keep a secret
to not tell anyone a piece of information
My sister can't keep a secret.

8.  keep
to do what you said you would do
to keep a promise/appointment

9.  keep
(of food) to stay fresh
Throw the yogurt out - it won't keep any longer.

10.  keep
to own and feed animals, especially for eggs, meat, or milk
She kept a goat and a few chickens.

11.  keep
keep going
to continue to live despite difficulties
families who must keep going in times of war

12.  keep
used to encourage sb to continue
Keep going - you're almost there.

13.  keep
keep sb going
to help sb continue in a difficult situation
Your letters kept me going during the long winter months.

14.  keep
keep your fingers crossed
to hope that what you want to happen will happen
We'll have to keep our fingers crossed for good weather for our trip to the beach.

Definition of 'keep'

Webster Dictionary

1. (noun) keep
the act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed; charge

2. (noun) keep
the state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition; case; as, to be in good keep

3. (noun) keep
the means or provisions by which one is kept; maintenance; support; as, the keep of a horse

4. (noun) keep
that which keeps or protects; a stronghold; a fortress; a castle; specifically, the strongest and securest part of a castle, often used as a place of residence by the lord of the castle, especially during a siege; the donjon. See Illust. of Castle

5. (noun) keep
that which is kept in charge; a charge

6. (noun) keep
a cap for retaining anything, as a journal box, in place

7. (verb) keep
to care; to desire

8. (verb) keep
to hold; to restrain from departure or removal; not to let go of; to retain in one's power or possession; not to lose; to retain; to detain

9. (verb) keep
to cause to remain in a given situation or condition; to maintain unchanged; to hold or preserve in any state or tenor

10. (verb) keep
to have in custody; to have in some place for preservation; to take charge of

11. (verb) keep
to preserve from danger, harm, or loss; to guard

12. (verb) keep
to preserve from discovery or publicity; not to communicate, reveal, or betray, as a secret

13. (verb) keep
to attend upon; to have the care of; to tend

14. (verb) keep
to record transactions, accounts, or events in; as, to keep books, a journal, etc. ; also, to enter (as accounts, records, etc. ) in a book

15. (verb) keep
to maintain, as an establishment, institution, or the like; to conduct; to manage; as, to keep store

16. (verb) keep
to supply with necessaries of life; to entertain; as, to keep boarders

17. (verb) keep
to have in one's service; to have and maintain, as an assistant, a servant, a mistress, a horse, etc

18. (verb) keep
to have habitually in stock for sale

19. (verb) keep
to continue in, as a course or mode of action; not to intermit or fall from; to hold to; to maintain; as, to keep silence; to keep one's word; to keep possession

20. (verb) keep
to observe; to adhere to; to fulfill; not to swerve from or violate; to practice or perform, as duty; not to neglect; to be faithful to

21. (verb) keep
to confine one's self to; not to quit; to remain in; as, to keep one's house, room, bed, etc. ; hence, to haunt; to frequent

22. (verb) keep
to observe duty, as a festival, etc. ; to celebrate; to solemnize; as, to keep a feast

23. (verb) keep
to remain in any position or state; to continue; to abide; to stay; as, to keep at a distance; to keep aloft; to keep near; to keep in the house; to keep before or behind; to keep in favor; to keep out of company, or out reach

24. (verb) keep
to last; to endure; to remain unimpaired

25. (verb) keep
to reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell

26. (verb) keep
to take care; to be solicitous; to watch

27. (verb) keep
to be in session; as, school keeps to-day

Translation of 'keep'

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

Sense: to have for a very long or indefinite period of time He gave me the picture to keep.
Afrikaans: bewaar, hou	Arabic: يُحافِظ على، يَحْفَظ	Bulgarian: държа
Brazilian: guardar	Czech: uchovat, vlastnit	German: behalten
Danish: beholde	Greek: κρατώ, φυλάγω	Spanish: guardar
Estonian: hoidma	Farsi: نگهداشتن	Finnish: pitää
French: garder	Hebrew: לְהַשאִיר, לְהַחֲזִיק	Hindi: रखना
Croatian: čuvati	Hungarian: őriz	Indonesian: memiliki
Icelandic: geyma, varðveita; fá til	Italian: tenere	Japanese: 持ち続ける
Korean: 간직하다	Lithuanian: laikyti	Latvian: []turēt
Malay: menyimpan	Dutch: houden	Norwegian: beholde, gjemme
Polish: trzymać, mieć w posiadani	Persian: نگهداشتن	Pashto: ساتل،لرل
Portuguese: guardar	Romanian: a păstra	Russian: хранить
Slovak: uchovať	Slovenian: obdržati	Serbian: sačuvati
Swedish: behålla	Thai: เก็บ	Turkish: saklamak, elinde tutmak
Taiwanese: 保存	Ukrainian: тримати; зберігати	Urdu: نا معلوم مدّت کے لۓ رکھنا
Vietnamese: gìn giữ	Chinese: 保存
Get even more *translations for keep...*