01 v. t. To care; to desire.
imp. & p. p.
Kept; p. pr. & vb. n.
Keeping
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1.
To care; to desire.[Obs.]“I kepe not of armes for to yelp [boast].” — Chaucer.
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2.
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.“If we lose the field, We can not keep the town.” — Shak.“That I may know what keeps me here with you.” — Dryden.“If we would weigh and keep in our minds what we are considering, that would instruct us.” — Locke.
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4.
To have in custody; to have in some place for preservation; to take charge of.“The crown of Stephanus, first king of Hungary, was always kept in the castle of Vicegrade.” — Knolles.
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5.
To preserve from danger, harm, or loss; to guard.“Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee.” — Gen. xxviii. 15.
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6.
To preserve from discovery or publicity; not to communicate, reveal, or betray, as a secret.“Great are thy virtues . . . though kept from man.” — Milton.
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7.
To attend upon; to have the care of; to tend.“And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it.” — Gen. ii. 15.“In her girlish age, she kept sheep on the moor.” — Carew.
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8.
To record transactions, accounts, or events in; as, to keep books, a journal, etc.; also, to enter (as accounts, records, etc. ) in a book.
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9.
To maintain, as an establishment, institution, or the like; to conduct; to manage; as, to keep store.“Like a pedant that keeps a school.” — Shak.“Every one of them kept house by himself.” — Hayward.
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10.
To supply with necessaries of life; to entertain; as, to keep boarders.
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11.
To have in one's service; to have and maintain, as an assistant, a servant, a mistress, a horse, etc.“I keep but three men and a boy.” — Shak.
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12.
To have habitually in stock for sale.
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14.
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.“I have kept the faith.” — 2 Tim. iv. 7.“Him whom to love is to obey, and keep His great command.” — Milton.
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15.
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.“'Tis hallowed ground; Fairies, and fawns, and satyrs do it keep.” — J. Fletcher.
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16.
To observe duly, as a festival, etc.; to celebrate; to solemnize; as, to keep a feast.“I went with them to the house of God . . . with a multitude that kept holyday.” — Ps. xlii. 4.
Phrases & compounds
To keep back —
To reserve; to withhold.
To keep company with —
To frequent the society of; to associate with; as, let youth keep company with the wise and good.
To keep down —
To hold in subjection; to restrain; to hinder.
To keep good hours —
to be customarily early (or late) in returning home or in retiring to rest.
To keep house —
To occupy a separate house or establishment, as with one's family, as distinguished from boarding; to manage domestic affairs.
To keep one's hand in —
to keep in practice.
To keep open house —
to be hospitable.
To keep the peace —
to avoid or to prevent a breach of the peace.
To keep school —
to govern, manage and instruct or teach a school, as a preceptor.
To keep a stiff upper lip —
to keep up one's courage.
To keep term —
To reside during a term.
To keep under —
to hold in subjection; hence, to oppress.
To keep up —
To maintain; to prevent from falling or diminution; as, to keep up the price of goods; to keep up one's credit.
Syn.
To retain; detain; reserve; preserve; hold; restrain; maintain; sustain; support; withhold.
Retain, Preserve. Keep is the generic term, and is often used where retain or preserve would too much restrict the meaning; as, to keep silence, etc. Retain denotes that we keep or hold things, as against influences which might deprive us of them, or reasons which might lead us to give them up; as, to retain vivacity in old age; to retain counsel in a lawsuit; to retain one's servant after a reverse of fortune. Preserve denotes that we keep a thing against agencies which might lead to its being destroyed or broken in upon; as, to preserve one's health; to preserve appearances.