[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

keep \keep\ k=ep, v. t. imp.  p. p. kept ke^pt; p.
   pr.  vb. n. keeping. oe. k=epen, as. c=epan to keep,
   regard, desire, await, take, betake; cf. as. copenere lover,
   oe. copnien to desire.
   1. to care; to desire. obs.
      1913 webster

            i kepe not of armes for to yelp boast. --chaucer.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

            if we lose the field,
            we can not keep the town.             --shak.
      1913 webster

            that i may know what keeps me here with you.
                                                  --dryden.
      1913 webster

            if we would weigh and keep in our minds what we are
            considering, that would instruct us.  --locke.
      1913 webster

   3. to cause to remain in a given situation or condition; to
      maintain unchanged; to hold or preserve in any state or
      tenor.
      1913 webster

            his loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal. --milton.
      1913 webster

            keep a stiff rein, and move but gently on.
                                                  --addison.
      1913 webster

   note: in this sense it is often used with prepositions and
         adverbs, as to keep away, to keep down, to keep from,
         to keep in, out, or off, etc. "to keep off impertinence
         and solicitation from his superior." --addison.
         1913 webster

   4. to have in custody; to have in some place for
      preservation; to take charge of.
      1913 webster

            the crown of stephanus, first king of hungary, was
            always kept in the castle of vicegrade. --knolles.
      1913 webster

   5. to preserve from danger, harm, or loss; to guard.
      1913 webster

            behold, i am with thee, and will keep thee. --gen.
                                                  xxviii. 15.
      1913 webster

   6. to preserve from discovery or publicity; not to
      communicate, reveal, or betray, as a secret.
      1913 webster

            great are thy virtues . . . though kept from man.
                                                  --milton.
      1913 webster

   7. to attend upon; to have the care of; to tend.
      1913 webster

            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.
      1913 webster

            in her girlish age, she kept sheep on the moor.
                                                  --carew.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

   9. to maintain, as an establishment, institution, or the
      like; to conduct; to manage; as, to keep store.
      1913 webster

            like a pedant that keeps a school.    --shak.
      1913 webster

            every one of them kept house by himself. --hayward.
      1913 webster

   10. to supply with necessaries of life; to entertain; as, to
       keep boarders.
       1913 webster

   11. to have in one's service; to have and maintain, as an
       assistant, a servant, a mistress, a horse, etc.
       1913 webster

             i keep but three men and a boy.      --shak.
       1913 webster

   12. to have habitually in stock for sale.
       1913 webster

   13. 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.
       1913 webster

             both day and night did we keep company. --shak.
       1913 webster

             within this portal as i kept my watch. --smollett.
       1913 webster

   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.
       1913 webster

             i have kept the faith.               --2 tim. iv.
                                                  7.
       1913 webster

             him whom to love is to obey, and keep
             his great command.                   --milton.
       1913 webster

   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. --shak.
       1913 webster

             'tis hallowed ground;
             fairies, and fawns, and satyrs do it keep. --j.
                                                  fletcher.
       1913 webster

   16. to observe duly, as a festival, etc.; to celebrate; to
       solemnize; as, to keep a feast.
       1913 webster

             i went with them to the house of god . . . with a
             multitude that kept holyday.         --ps. xlii. 4.
       1913 webster

   to keep at arm's length. see under arm, n.

   to keep back.
       a to reserve; to withhold. "i will keep nothing back
           from you." --jer. xlii. 4.
       b to restrain; to hold back. "keep back thy servant
           also from presumptuous sins." --ps. xix. 13.

   to keep company with.
       a to frequent the society of; to associate with; as,
           let youth keep company with the wise and good.
       b to accompany; to go with; as, to keep company with
           one on a voyage; also, to pay court to, or accept
           attentions from, with a view to marriage. colloq.
           

   to keep counsel. see under counsel, n.

   to keep down.
       a to hold in subjection; to restrain; to hinder.
       b fine arts to subdue in tint or tone, as a portion
           of a picture, so that the spectator's attention may
           not be diverted from the more important parts of the
           work.

   to keep good hours or to keep bad hours, to be
      customarily early or late in returning home or in
      retiring to rest.

   to keep house.
       a to occupy a separate house or establishment, as with
           one's family, as distinguished from boarding; to
           manage domestic affairs.
       b eng. bankrupt law to seclude one's self in one's
           house in order to evade the demands of creditors.

   to keep one's hand in, to keep in practice.

   to keep open house, to be hospitable.

   to keep the peace law, 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.
      slang

   to keep term.
       a eng. universities to reside during a term.
       b inns of court to eat a sufficient number of dinners
           in hall to make the term count for the purpose of
           being called to the bar. eng. --mozley  w.

   to keep touch. see under touch, n.

   to keep under, to hold in subjection; hence, to oppress.

   to keep up.
       a to maintain; to prevent from falling or diminution;
           as, to keep up the price of goods; to keep up one's
           credit.
       b to maintain; to continue; to prevent from ceasing.
           "in joy, that which keeps up the action is the desire
           to continue it." --locke.

   syn: to retain; detain; reserve; preserve; hold; restrain;
        maintain; sustain; support; withhold. -- to keep.

   usage: 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.
          1913 webster
see also:
kept keeping to keep at arm's length arm to keep back to keep company with 
to keep counsel counsel to keep down to keep good hours to keep bad hours 
to keep house boarding to keep one's hand in to keep open house to keep the peace 
to keep school to keep a stiff upper lip to keep term to keep touch touch 
to keep under to keep up keep retain preserve 

Bad >> B Words
Bad, definition of term: Bad
bad_pag1.html

Bad Luck >> B Words
Bad Luck, definition of term: Bad Luck
bad+luck_pag1.html

Bad Hat >> B Words
Bad Hat, definition of term: Bad Hat
bad+hat_pag1.html

Bad Blood >> B Words
Bad Blood, definition of term: Bad Blood
bad+blood_pag1.html

Bad Debt >> B Words
Bad Debt, definition of term: Bad Debt
bad+debt_pag1.html

After Hours >> A Words
After Hours, definition of term: After Hours
after+hours_pag1.html