/ English Dictionary

KEEP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: kept   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A cell in a jail or prison

Synonyms:

hold; keep

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("keep" is a kind of...):

cell; jail cell; prison cell (a room where a prisoner is kept)

Derivation:

keep (hold and prevent from leaving)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress

Synonyms:

donjon; dungeon; keep

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("keep" is a kind of...):

fastness; stronghold (a strongly fortified defensive structure)

Instance hyponyms:

Black Hole of Calcutta (a dungeon (20 feet square) in a fort in Calcutta where as many as 146 English prisoners were held overnight by Siraj-ud-daula; the next morning only 23 were still alive)

Holonyms ("keep" is a part of...):

castle (a large building formerly occupied by a ruler and fortified against attack)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The financial means whereby one lives

Example:

he could no longer earn his own livelihood

Synonyms:

bread and butter; keep; livelihood; living; support; sustenance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("keep" is a kind of...):

resource (available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "keep"):

amenities; comforts; conveniences; creature comforts (things that make you comfortable and at ease)

maintenance (means of maintenance of a family or group)

meal ticket (a source of income or livelihood)

subsistence (minimal (or marginal) resources for subsisting)

Derivation:

keep (supply with necessities and support)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Prevent (food) from rotting

Example:

keep potatoes fresh

Synonyms:

keep; preserve

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

cook; fix; make; prepare; ready (prepare for eating by applying heat)

Verb group:

keep; stay fresh (fail to spoil or rot)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "keep"):

corn (preserve with salt)

cure (prepare by drying, salting, or chemical processing in order to preserve)

refrigerate (preserve by chilling)

can; put up; tin (preserve in a can or tin)

salt (preserve with salt)

pickle (preserve in a pickling liquid)

dehydrate; desiccate (preserve by removing all water and liquids from)

conserve (preserve with sugar)

freeze-dry (preserve by rapid freezing and subsequently drying in a vacuum)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Prevent the action or expression of

Example:

she struggled to restrain her impatience at the delays

Synonyms:

hold back; keep; keep back; restrain

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "keep"):

check; contain; control; curb; hold; hold in; moderate (lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits)

confine (prevent from leaving or from being removed)

swallow (keep from expressing)

baffle; regulate (restrain the emission of (sound, fluid, etc.))

harness; rein; rule (keep in check)

blink; blink away; wink (keep back by blinking)

hold (keep from exhaling or expelling)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Stick to correctly or closely

Example:

I cannot keep track of all my employees

Synonyms:

keep; maintain; observe

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Maintain by writing regular records

Example:

keep notes

Synonyms:

keep; maintain

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

enter; put down; record (make a record of; set down in permanent form)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Supply with necessities and support

Example:

There's little to earn and many to keep

Synonyms:

keep; maintain; sustain

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

have; have got; hold (have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "keep"):

patronage (support by being a patron of)

reseed (maintain by seeding without human intervention)

carry (keep up with financial support)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

keep (the financial means whereby one lives)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Hold and prevent from leaving

Example:

The student was kept after school

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

confine; detain (deprive of freedom; take into confinement)

Verb group:

keep; prevent (stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

keep (a cell in a jail or prison)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Retain possession of

Example:

She kept her maiden name after she married

Synonyms:

hold on; keep

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

have; have got; hold (have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense)

Verb group:

hold open; keep; keep open; save (retain rights to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "keep"):

harbor; harbour (keep in one's possession; of animals)

hold; hold back; keep back; retain (secure and keep for possible future use or application)

store (find a place for and put away for storage)

hive away; lay in; put in; salt away; stack away; stash away; store (keep or lay aside for future use)

preserve; save (to keep up and reserve for personal or special use)

deduct; recoup; withhold (retain and refrain from disbursing; of payments)

deny; refuse (refuse to let have)

carry over; hold over (hold over goods to be sold for the next season)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They keep the money

Antonym:

lose (fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense)

Also:

keep back (hold back; refuse to hand over or share)

keep back (secure and keep for possible future use or application)

Derivation:

keeping (the act of retaining something)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Look after; be the keeper of; have charge of

Example:

He keeps the shop when I am gone

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

have; have got; hold (have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense)

Verb group:

keep; preserve (maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "keep"):

conserve; keep up; maintain; preserve (keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

keeping (the responsibility of a guardian or keeper)

keeper (someone in charge of other people)

keeper (one having charge of buildings or grounds or animals)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Maintain for use and service

Example:

She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips

Synonyms:

keep; maintain

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

have; have got; hold (have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 10

Meaning:

Have as a supply

Example:

She keeps a sixpack and a week's worth of supplies in the refrigerator

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

have; have got; hold (have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense)

Verb group:

keep (store or keep customarily)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 11

Meaning:

Store or keep customarily

Example:

Where do you keep your gardening tools?

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

store (find a place for and put away for storage)

Verb group:

keep (have as a supply)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 12

Meaning:

Retain rights to

Example:

keep open the possibility of a merger

Synonyms:

hold open; keep; keep open; save

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

book; hold; reserve (arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance)

Verb group:

hold on; keep (retain possession of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 13

Meaning:

Allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature

Example:

this garment retains its shape even after many washings

Synonyms:

continue; keep; keep on; retain

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

keep up; prolong; sustain (lengthen or extend in duration or space)

Verb group:

continue; persist in (do something repeatedly and showing no intention to stop)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 14

Meaning:

Stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state

Example:

Keep the child from eating the marbles

Synonyms:

keep; prevent

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Verb group:

keep (hold and prevent from leaving)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "keep"):

defend (be on the defensive; act against an attack)

exclude; keep out; shut; shut out (prevent from entering; shut out)

restrict (prevent (information) from being circulated or disclosed)

hold (keep from departing)

keep away (prevent from coming close)

restrain (prevent (someone or something) from doing something)

blank (keep the opposing (baseball) team from winning)

hinder; impede (be a hindrance or obstacle to)

rain out; wash out (prevent or interrupt due to rain)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

They keep him from writing the letter

Sense 15

Meaning:

Behave as expected during of holidays or rites

Example:

Observe Yom Kippur

Synonyms:

celebrate; keep; observe

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "keep"):

solemnise; solemnize (observe or perform with dignity or gravity)

mourn (observe the customs of mourning after the death of a loved one)

commemorate; mark (celebrate by some ceremony or observation)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 16

Meaning:

Conform one's action or practice to

Example:

We kept to the original conditions of the contract

Synonyms:

keep; observe

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "keep"):

make good (act as promised)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

break (act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises)

Derivation:

keeping (conformity or harmony)

Sense 17

Meaning:

Supply with room and board

Example:

keep boarders

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

accommodate; lodge (provide housing for)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot keep Sue

Sense 18

Meaning:

Raise

Example:

he keeps bees

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

farm; grow; produce; raise (cultivate by growing, often involving improvements by means of agricultural techniques)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "keep"):

herd (keep, move, or drive animals)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 19

Meaning:

Cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., 'keep clean'

Example:

The students keep me on my toes

Synonyms:

hold; keep; maintain

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "keep"):

pressurise; pressurize (maintain a certain pressure)

bear on; carry on; continue; preserve; uphold (keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last)

hold over (keep in a position or state from an earlier period of time)

conserve (keep constant through physical or chemical reactions or evolutionary change)

preserve (keep undisturbed for personal or private use for hunting, shooting, or fishing)

distance (keep at a distance)

housekeep (maintain a household; take care of all business related to a household)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s something Adjective/Noun
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Also:

keep apart (set apart from others)

keep down (place a limit on the number of)

keep in (cause to stay indoors)

keep off (refrain from entering or walking onto)

keep off (refrain from certain foods or beverages)

keep out (prevent from entering; shut out)

keep up (maintain a required pace or level)

keep up (lengthen or extend in duration or space)

Sense 20

Meaning:

Continue a certain state, condition, or activity

Example:

We went on working until well past midnight

Synonyms:

continue; go along; go on; keep; proceed

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Verb group:

bear on; carry on; continue; preserve; uphold (keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last)

continue (continue after an interruption)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "keep"):

hold (remain in a certain state, position, or condition)

keep going; run on (continue uninterrupted)

ride (continue undisturbed and without interference)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s VERB-ing

Sentence example:

They keep moving

Sense 21

Meaning:

Maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger

Example:

May God keep you

Synonyms:

keep; preserve

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

protect (shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage)

Verb group:

keep (look after; be the keeper of; have charge of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 22

Meaning:

Fail to spoil or rot

Example:

These potatoes keep for a long time

Synonyms:

keep; stay fresh

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "keep" is one way to...):

remain; rest; stay (stay the same; remain in a certain state)

Verb group:

keep; preserve (prevent (food) from rotting)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence example:

This food does keep well

Credits

 Context examples: 

Anti-CCR2 monoclonal antibody MLN1202 blocks the action of a substance that is involved in keeping healthy bone mass.

(anti-CCR2 monoclonal antibody MLN1202, NCI Dictionary)

This keeps PDGF from binding to the cells.

(anti-PDGFR alpha monoclonal antibody IMC-3G3, NCI Dictionary)

It is also used to treat GVHD and after a kidney transplant to help keep the body from rejecting the kidney.

(Anti-Thymocyte Globulin, NCI Dictionary)

The glandular portion of the salivary system whose combined secretions constitute the saliva; a clear, alkaline, somewhat viscus secretion that keeps the mouth moist and aids in swallowing and digesting food.

(Acinar Salivary Gland System, NCI Thesaurus)

Hans paid out the rope, permitting no slack, while Pete kept it clear of coils.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

When it grew dark there seemed to be some excitement amongst the passengers, and they kept speaking to him, one after the other, as though urging him to further speed.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The brain contains a master clock that keeps the rest of the body in sync, using light signals from the eyes to keep in time with environment.

(Plants can tell time even without a brain, University of Cambridge)

Although the dance may appear odd, it keeps the orbits stable, researchers said.

(NASA Finds Neptune Moons Locked in 'Dance of Avoidance', NASA)

The puzzle presented by this region is one thing that keeps astronomers coming back to it.

(Spitzer Studies a Stellar Playground With a Long History, NASA)

People with type 2 diabetes whose beta cells don't work properly have to inject insulin to keep their blood glucose levels stable.

(New Potential Approach Found to Type 2 Diabetes Treatment, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

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