Noun | 1. | keep - 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. | keep - the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress | |
3. | keep - a cell in a jail or prison Synonyms: hold | |
Verb | 1. | keep - 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" |
2. | 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" | |
3. | keep - retain possession of; "Can I keep my old stuffed animals?"; "She kept her maiden name after she married" Synonyms: hold on Antonyms: lose - fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense; "She lost her purse when she left it unattended on her seat" | |
4. | keep - prevent 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" Synonyms: prevent | |
5. | keep - conform one's action or practice to; "keep appointments"; "she never keeps her promises"; "We kept to the original conditions of the contract" Synonyms: observe | |
6. | keep - observe correctly or closely; "The pianist kept time with the metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all my employees" | |
7. | keep - look after; be the keeper of; have charge of; "He keeps the shop when I am gone" | |
8. | keep - maintain by writing regular records; "keep a diary"; "maintain a record"; "keep notes" Synonyms: maintain | |
9. | keep - supply with room and board; "He is keeping three women in the guest cottage"; "keep boarders" | |
10. | keep - allow to remain in a place or position; "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" | |
11. | keep - 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" | |
12. | keep - fail to spoil or rot; "These potatoes keep for a long time" Synonyms: stay fresh | |
13. | keep - celebrate, as of holidays or rites; "Keep the commandments"; "celebrate Christmas"; "Observe Yom Kippur" | |
14. | keep - keep under control; keep in check; "suppress a smile"; "Keep your temper"; "keep your cool" | |
15. | keep - maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger; "May God keep you" Synonyms: preserve | |
16. | keep - raise; "She keeps a few chickens in the yard"; "he keeps bees" | |
17. | keep - retain rights to; "keep my job for me while I give birth"; "keep my seat, please"; "keep open the possibility of a merger" | |
18. | keep - store or keep customarily; "Where do you keep your gardening tools?" | |
19. | 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" | |
20. | keep - maintain for use and service; "I keep a car in the countryside"; "She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips" Synonyms: maintain | |
21. | keep - hold and prevent from leaving; "The student was kept after school" | |
22. | keep - prevent (food) from rotting; "preserved meats"; "keep potatoes fresh" Synonyms: preserve |