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

             i have kept the faith.               --2 tim. iv.
                                                  7.
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             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. --shak.
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             '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.
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             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 

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

touch \touch\, n. cf. f. touche. see touch, v. 
   1. the act of touching, or the state of being touched;
      contact.
      1913 webster

            their touch affrights me as a serpent's sting.
                                                  --shak.
      1913 webster

   2. physiol. the sense by which pressure or traction exerted
      on the skin is recognized; the sense by which the
      properties of bodies are determined by contact; the
      tactile sense. see tactile sense, under tactile.
      1913 webster

            the spider's touch, how exquisitely fine. --pope.
      1913 webster

   note: pure tactile feelings are necessarily rare, since
         temperature sensations and muscular sensations are more
         or less combined with them. the organs of touch are
         found chiefly in the epidermis of the skin and certain
         underlying nervous structures.
         1913 webster

   3. act or power of exciting emotion.
      1913 webster

            not alone
            the death of fulvia, with more urgent touches,
            do strongly speak to us.              --shak.
      1913 webster

   4. an emotion or affection.
      1913 webster

            a true, natural, and a sensible touch of mercy.
                                                  --hooker.
      1913 webster

   5. personal reference or application. obs.
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            speech of touch toward others should be sparingly
            used.                                 --bacon.
      1913 webster

   6. a stroke; as, a touch of raillery; a satiric touch; hence,
      animadversion; censure; reproof.
      1913 webster

            i never bare any touch of conscience with greater
            regret.                               --eikon
                                                  basilike.
      1913 webster

   7. a single stroke on a drawing or a picture.
      1913 webster

            never give the least touch with your pencil till you
            have well examined your design.       --dryden.
      1913 webster

   8. feature; lineament; trait.
      1913 webster

            of many faces, eyes, and hearts,
            to have the touches dearest prized.   --shak.
      1913 webster

   9. the act of the hand on a musical instrument; bence, in the
      plural, musical notes.
      1913 webster

            soft stillness and the night
            become the touches of sweet harmony.  --shak.
      1913 webster

   10. a small quantity intermixed; a little; a dash.
       1913 webster

             eyes la touch of sir peter lely in them. --hazlitt.
       1913 webster

             madam, i have a touch of your condition. --shak.
       1913 webster

   11. a hint; a suggestion; slight notice.
       1913 webster

             a small touch will put him in mind of them.
                                                  --bacon.
       1913 webster

   12. a slight and brief essay. colloq.
       1913 webster

             print my preface in such form as, in the
             booksellers' phrase, will make a sixpenny touch.
                                                  --swift.
       1913 webster

   13. a touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for
       touchstone. obs. " now do i play the touch." --shak.
       1913 webster

             a neat new monument of touch and alabaster.
                                                  --fuller.
       1913 webster

   14. hence, examination or trial by some decisive standard;
       test; proof; tried quality.
       1913 webster

             equity, the true touch of all laws.  --carew.
       1913 webster

             friends of noble touch .             --shak.
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   15. mus. the particular or characteristic mode of action,
       or the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the
       fingers; as, a heavy touch, or a light touch; also, the
       manner of touching, striking, or pressing the keys of a
       piano; as, a legato touch; a staccato touch.
       1913 webster

   16. shipbilding the broadest part of a plank worked top and
       but see top and but, under top, n., or of one
       worked anchor-stock fashion that is, tapered from the
       middle to both ends; also, the angles of the stern
       timbers at the counters. --j. knowles.
       1913 webster

   17. football that part of the field which is beyond the
       line of flags on either side. --encyc. of rural sports.
       1913 webster

   18. a boys' game; tag.
       1913 webster

   19. change ringing a set of changes less than the total
       possible on seven bells, that is, less than 5,040.
       webster 1913 suppl.

   20. an act of borrowing or stealing. slang
       webster 1913 suppl.

   21. tallow; -- a plumber's term. eng.
       webster 1913 suppl.

   in touch
       a football, outside of bounds. --t. hughes.
       b in communication; communicating, once or repeatedly.
           

   to be in touch,
       a to be in contact, communication, or in sympathy.
       b to be aware of current events.

   to keep touch.
       a to be true or punctual to a promise or engagement
           obs.; hence, to fulfill duly a function.
           1913 webster

                 my mind and senses keep touch and time. --sir
                                                  w. scott.
           1913 webster
       b to keep in contact; to maintain connection or
           sympathy; -- with with or of. also

   to keep in touch.

   touch and go, a phrase descriptive of a narrow escape.

   true as touch i. e., touchstone, quite true. obs.
      1913 webster
see also:
touch tactile sense tactile top and but top in touch 
to be in touch to keep touch to keep in touch touch and go true as touch 

Keep >> K Words
Keep, definition of term: Keep
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Keep Off >> K Words
Keep Off, definition of term: Keep Off
keep+off_pag1.html

Keep Up >> K Words
Keep Up, definition of term: Keep Up
keep+up_pag1.html

Keep Down >> K Words
Keep Down, definition of term: Keep Down
keep+down_pag1.html

Keep Back >> K Words
Keep Back, definition of term: Keep Back
keep+back_pag1.html

Keep Away >> K Words
Keep Away, definition of term: Keep Away
keep+away_pag1.html

In Touch >> I Words
In Touch, definition of term: In Touch
in+touch_pag1.html

Keep Up With >> K Words
Keep Up With, definition of term: Keep Up With
keep+up+with_pag1.html

Get In Touch >> G Words
Get In Touch, definition of term: Get In Touch
get+in+touch_pag1.html