English

Verb

keep out

1. (intransitive) To refrain from entering a place or condition.

   After being warned, he kept out.‎

2. (transitive) To restrain someone or something from entering a place or condition.
   • 2013 June 1, “End of the peer show”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 71:

     Finance is seldom romantic. But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms. […] Banks and credit-card firms are kept out of the picture. Talk to enough people in the field and someone is bound to mention the “democratisation of finance”.

   The warning kept him out.‎

Usage notes

Often seen, as imperative, on a sign posted as an attempt to prevent entry or access to a place.

See also

• no admittance
• no trespassing
• stay away