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Webster 1913 Edition

Keep

Keep

(kēp)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Kept
(kĕpt)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Keeping
.]
[OE.
kēpen
, AS.
cēpan
to keep, regard, desire, await, take, betake; cf. AS.
copenere
lover, OE.
copnien
to desire.]
1.
To care; to desire.
[Obs.]
I
kepe
not of armes for to yelp [boast].
Chaucer.
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.
Shakespeare
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.
3.
To cause to remain in a given situation or condition; to maintain unchanged; to hold or preserve in any state or tenor.
His loyalty he
kept
, his love, his zeal.
Milton.
Keep
a stiff rein, and move but gently on.
Addison.
☞ 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.
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.
5.
To preserve from danger, harm, or loss; to guard.
Behold, I am with thee, and will
keep
thee.
Gen. xxviii. 15.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shakespeare
Every one of them
kept
house by himself.
Hayward.
10.
To supply with necessaries of life; to entertain;
as, to
keep
boarders
.
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.
Shakespeare
12.
To have habitually in stock for sale.
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.
Both day and night did we
keep
company.
Shakespeare
Within this portal as I
kept
my watch.
Smollett.
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.
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.
'Tis hallowed ground;
Fairies, and fawns, and satyrs do it
keep
.
J. Fletcher.
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.
Syn. – To retain; detain; reserve; preserve; hold; restrain; maintain; sustain; support; withhold.
– To
Keep
.
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.

Keep

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To remain in any position or state; to continue; to abide; to stay;
as, to
keep
at a distance; to
keep
aloft; to
keep
near; to
keep
in the house; to
keep
before or behind; to
keep
in favor; to
keep
out of company, or out reach.
2.
To last; to endure; to remain unimpaired.
If the malt be not thoroughly dried, the ale it makes will not
keep
.
Mortimer.
3.
To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell.
[Now disused except locally or colloquially.]
Knock at his study, where, they say, he
keeps
.
Shakespeare
4.
To take care; to be solicitous; to watch.
[Obs.]
Keep
that the lusts choke not the word of God that is in us.
Tyndale.
5.
To be in session;
as, school
keeps
to-day
.
[Colloq.]
To keep from
,
to abstain or refrain from.
–
To keep in with
,
to keep on good terms with;
as,
to keep in with
an opponent
.
–
To keep on
,
to go forward; to proceed; to continue to advance.
–
To keep to
,
to adhere strictly to; not to neglect or deviate from;
as,
to keep to
old customs;
to keep to
a rule;
to keep to
one's word or promise
.
–
To keep up
,
to remain unsubdued; also, not to be confined to one's bed.

Keep

,
Noun.
1.
The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed; charge.
Chaucer.
Pan, thou god of shepherds all,
Which of our tender lambkins takest
keep
.
Spenser.
2.
The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition; case;
as, to be in good
keep
.
3.
The means or provisions by which one is kept; maintenance; support;
as, the
keep
of a horse
.
Grass equal to the
keep
of seven cows.
Carlyle.
I performed some services to the college in return for my
keep
.
T. Hughes.
4.
That which keeps or protects; a stronghold; a fortress; a castle; specifically, the strongest and securest part of a castle, often used as a place of residence by the lord of the castle, especially during a siege; the dungeon. See Illust. of
Castle
.
The prison strong,
Within whose
keep
the captive knights were laid.
Dryden.
The lower chambers of those gloomy
keeps
.
Hallam.
I think . . . the
keep
, or principal part of a castle, was so called because the lord and his domestic circle
kept
, abode, or lived there.
M. A. Lower.
5.
That which is kept in charge; a charge.
[Obs.]
Often he used of his
keep

A sacrifice to bring.
Spenser.
6.
(Mach.)
A cap for retaining anything, as a journal box, in place.
To take keep
,
to take care; to heed.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.

Webster 1828 Edition

Keep

KEEP

,
Verb.
T.
pret. and pp. kept. [L. habeo, and capio.]
1.
To hold; to retain in one's power or possession; not to lose or part with; as, to keep a house or a farm; to keep any thing in the memory, mind or heart.
2.
To have in custody for security or preservation.
The crown of Stephanus, first king of Hungary,was always kept in the castle of Vicegrade.
3.
To preserve; to retain.
The Lord God, merciful and gracious, keeping mercy for thousands--Ex.34.
4.
To preserve from falling or from danger; to protect; to guard or sustain.
And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee. Gen.28. Luke 4.
5.
To hold or restrain from departure; to detain.
--That I may know what keeps me here with you.
6.
To tend; to have the care of.
And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. Gen.2.
7.
To tend; to feed; to pasture; as, to keep a flock of sheep or a herd of cattle in a yard or in a field. He keeps his horses on oats or on hay.
8.
To preserve in any tenor or state. Keep a stiff rein.
Keep the constitution sound.
9.
To regard; to attend to.
While the stars and course of heaven I keep--
10. To hold in any state; as, to keep in order.
11. To continue any state, course or action; as, to keep silence; to keep the same road or the same pace; to keep reading or talking; to keep a given distance.
12. To practice; to do or perform; to obey; to observe in practice; not to neglect or violate; as, to keep the laws, statutes or commandments of God.
13. To fulfill; to perform; as, to keep one's word,promise or covenant.
14. To practice; to use habitually; as, to keep bad hours.
15. To copy carefully.
Her servant's eyes were fix'd upon her face,
And as she moved or turned,her motions viewed,
Her measures kept, and step by step pursued.
16. To observe or solemnize.
17. To board; to maintain; to supply with necessaries of life. The men are kept at a moderate price per week.
18. To have in the house; to entertain; as, to keep lodgers.
19. To maintain; not to intermit; as, to keep watch or guard.
20. To hold in one's own bosom; to confine to one's own knowledge; not to disclose or communicate to others; not to betray; as, to keep a secret; to keep one's own counsel.
21. To have in pay; as, to keep a servant.
To keep back, to reserve; to withhold; not to disclose or communicate.
I will keep nothing back from you. Jer.42.
1.
To restrain;; to prevent from advancing.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins. Ps.19.
2.
To reserve; to withhold; not to deliver. Acts.5.
To keep company with, to frequent the society of; to associate with. Let youth keep company with the wise and good.
To accompany; to go with; as, to keep company with one on a journey or voyage.
To keep down, to prevent from rising; not to lift or suffer to be raised.
To keep in, to prevent from escape; to hold in confinement.
1.
To conceal; not to tell or disclose.
2.
To restrain; to curb.
To keep off, to hinder from approach or attack; as, to keep off an enemy or an evil.
To keep under, to restrain; to hold in subjection; as, to keep under an antagonist or a conquered country; to keep under the appetites and passions.
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.
1.
To maintain; to continue; to hinder from ceasing.
In joy, that which keeps up the action is the desire to continue it.keep out, to hinder from entering or taking possession.
To keep bed, to remain in bed without rising; to be confined to one's bed.
To keep house, to maintain a family state.
His income enables him to keep house.
1.
To remain in the house; to be confined.
His feeble health obliges him to keep house.
To keep from, to restrain; to prevent approach.
To keep a school, to maintain or support it; as, the town or its inhabitants keep ten schools; more properly, to govern and instruct or teach a school, as a preceptor.

KEEP

,
Verb.
I.
To remain in any state; as, to keep at a distance; to keep aloft; to keep near; to keep in the house; to keep before or behind; to keep in favor; to keep out of company, or out of reach.
1.
To last; to endure; not to perish or be impaired. Seek for winter's use apples that will keep.
If the malt is not thoroughly dried,the ale it makes will not keep.
2.
To lodge; to dwell; to reside for a time.
Knock at the study, where, they say, he keeps.
To keep to, to adhere strictly; not to neglect or deviate from; as, to keep to old customs; to keep to a rule; to keep to one's word or promise.
To keep on, to go forward; to proceed; to continue to advance.
To keep up, to remain unsubdued; or not to be confined to one's bed.
In popular language, this word signifies to continue; to repeat continually; not to cease.

KEEP

,
Noun.
Custody; guard. [Little used.]
1.
Colloquially, case; condition; as in good keep.
2.
Guardianship; restraint. [Little used.]
3.
A place of confinement; in old castles,the dungeon.

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