Etymology From Middle English kepen (“to keep, guard, look after, watch”), from Old English cēpan (“to seize, hold, observe”), from Proto-West Germanic *kōpijan, from Proto-Germanic *kōpijaną (“to look, heed, watch, observe”) (compare West Frisian kypje (“to look”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵab-, *ǵāb- (“to look after”) (compare Lithuanian žẽbti (“to eat reluctantly”), Russian забо́та (zabóta, “care, worry”)). The dialectal sense of the verb meaning “to put back” or “put away” may be analyzed as a semantic loan from a local language—compare Welsh cadw and Mandarin 收 (shōu).
To continue in (a course or mode of action); to not intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain.
to keep silence; to keep possession
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To remain faithful to a given promise or word.
to keep one's word; to keep one's promise
Both day and night did we keep company.c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
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Within the Portal as I kept my Watch, / Swift gliding Shadows by the glimm'ring Moon, I could perceive in Forms of armed Men, / Poſſeſſ the Space that borders on the Porch— […]1749, [Tobias George Smollett], The Regicide: Or, James the First, of Scotland. A Tragedy. […], London: […] [F]or the benefit of the author, →OCLC, Act V, scene v, page 70:
› To hold the status of something.
3
To maintain possession of.
I keep a small stock of painkillers for emergencies.
I only meant to lend him the shirt at first, but it looked better on him than me, so I told him to keep it.
4
To maintain the condition of; to preserve in a certain state.
I keep my specimens under glass to protect them.
The abundance of squirrels kept the dogs running for hours.
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Mr. Cooke had had a sloop yacht built at Far Harbor, the completion of which had been delayed, and which was but just delivered.[…]The Maria had a cabin, which was finished in hard wood and yellow plush, and accommodations for keeping things cold.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter X, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
She mixed furniture with the same fatal profligacy as she mixed drinks, and this outrageous contact between things which were intended by Nature to be kept poles apart gave her an inexpressible thrill.1935, George Goodchild, chapter 1, in Death on the Centre Court:
Metrocles somewhat indiscreetly, as he was disputing in his Schole, in presence of his auditory, let a fart, for shame whereof he afterwards kept his house and could not be drawen abroad[…].1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
The wrathful skies / Gallow the very wanderers of the dark / And make them keep their caves.c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
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The following day she was so ill that she kept her bed; the husband went not once to enquire for her, nor did he send any message: he also kept his apartment, and was heard walking backwards and forwards with a hurried pace the whole of that day.1789, John Moore, Zeluco, Valancourt, published 2008, page 71:
"As I sat alone at my breakfast--Mrs. Challenger is in the habit of keeping her room of a morning--it suddenly entered my head that it would be entertaining and instructive to see whether I could find any limits to this woman's inperturbability."1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, “(please specify the page)”, in The Poison Belt […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
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To restrain.
I keep my pet gerbil away from my brother.
Don't let me keep you; I know you have things to be doing.
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With from To watch over, look after, guard, protect.
May the Lord keep you from harm.
cursse on thy cruell hond, / That twise hath sped; yet shall it not thee keepe / From the third brunt of this my fatall brond […]1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
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To supply with necessities and financially support (a person).
He kept a mistress for over ten years.
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Of living things To raise; to care for.
He has been keeping orchids since retiring.
Here John had to keep cows with other boys, and they used to drive them to graze about the Nine-hills.1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 287:
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Of course boys are boys and need watching, but there is little watching necessary when they keep chickens.1914, Robert Joos, Success with Hens, Forbes & company, page 217:
Jailing her on Wednesday, magistrate Liz Clyne told Robins: "You have shown little remorse either for the death of the kitten or the trauma to your former friend Sarah Knutton." She was also banned from keeping animals for 10 years.2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in The Guardian:
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To refrain from freely disclosing (a secret).
I know that it's a secret / And that I gotta keep it / But I want the lights on / Yeah, I want the lights on2012, Anthony Reyes, Melissa Sheppard, “Leave the Lights On”, in The Bright Side, performed by Meiko:
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To maintain (an establishment or institution); to conduct; to manage.
like a pedant that keeps a schoolc. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
They were honourably accompanied and with great estate brought to London, where euery of them kept house by himselfe.1630, John Hayward, The Life, and Raigne of King Edward the Sixt, London: John Partridge, page 114:
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At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors.[…]In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.1892, Walter Besant, chapter III, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
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To have habitually in stock for sale.
› To hold or be held in a state.
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Obsolete To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell.
She kept to her bed while the fever lasted.
Knock at his study, where, they say, he keeps, / To ruminate strange plots of dire revenge; […]c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
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To continue.
I keep taking the tablets, but to no avail.
Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part. […] Next day she […] tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head. Then, thwarted, the wretched creature went to the police for help; she was versed in the law, and perhaps had spared no pains to keep on good terms with the local constabulary.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XLIV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 361:
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Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic[…]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become.[…]But the scandals kept coming, and so we entered stage three – what therapists call "bargaining". A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches.2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:
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To remain edible or otherwise usable.
Potatoes can keep if they are in a root cellar.
Latex paint won't keep indefinitely.
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If the malt be not thoroughly dried, the ale it makes will not keep.1707, John Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry:
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To remain in a state.
The rabbit avoided detection by keeping still.
Keep calm! There's no need to panic.
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UK, Obsolete To have rooms at college, at the University of Cambridge.
And thenne whan the damoysel knewe certaynly that he was not syre launcelot / thenne she took her leue and departed from hym / And thenne syre Trystram rode pryuely vnto the posterne where kepte hym la beale Isoud / and there she made hym good chere and thanked god of his good spede1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter X, in Le Morte Darthur, book VIII:
Obsolete To take care; to be solicitous; to watch.
[…] kepe that the lustes choke not the word of God that is sowen in vs,c. 1530, William Tyndale, “A Pathway into the holy Scripture”, in The Whole Workes of W. Tyndall, Iohn Frith, and Doct. Barnes, London: John Day, published 1573, page 384:
To observe; to adhere to; to fulfill; to not swerve from or violate.
I have kept the faith: […]1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Timothy 4:7:
Be strong, live happie, and love, but first of all / Him whom to love is to obey, and keep / His great command; […]1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 1271–1272:
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Broadly, Dated To visit (a place) often; to frequent.
[…] 'tis hallowed ground; No Maid seeks here her strayed Cow, or Sheep, Fairies, and fawns, and satyrs do it keep:c. 1608, John Fletcher, The Faithful Shepherdess, Act III, Scene 1:
There are two time-zones in China: the Eastern, which keeps Shanghai time, 8 hr. in advance of G.M.T.; and the Western, which keeps Kansu-Szechwan time, 7 hr. in advance of G.M.T.1944, Great Britain. Naval Intelligence Division, “Posts, Telegraphs, and Telegrams”, in China Proper: Economic Geography, Ports, and Communications, page 601:
"Nephew!" returned the uncle sternly, "keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine."1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave I. Marley’s Ghost.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 8:
"Oh, we are from Osthalla," says one of them, "we are going to the Veien dairy to keep the wedding; the one who drives in front is the parson, next are the bride and bridegroom, and I am his father-in-law."1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 288:
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Singapore, Wales To put (something) back (to its original location or appropriate place); to put away.
Please keep these books.
[…] semantic shift: e.g., to send (“to give a lift”), to keep (“to put away”), to hack (“to remove carefully,” e.g., tiles, plaster, etc.), knock (“to remove a dent from a car”), bluff (“to joke”), stay (“to live”) […]2019, Sarah Buschfeld, Children’s English in Singapore: Acquisition, Properties, and Use, →ISBN, Singapore English, page 33:
Historical The main tower of a castle or fortress, located within the castle walls.
2
The food or money required to keep someone alive and healthy; one's support, maintenance.
He works as a cobbler's apprentice for his keep.
3
The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition; case.
to be in good keep
4
Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences A cap for holding something, such as a journal box, in place.
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Obsolete The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed; charge; notice.
So Sir Gareth strayned hym so that his olde wounde braste ayen on bledynge; but he was hote and corragyous and toke no kepe, but with his grete forse he strake downe the knyght[…].1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum XXIII”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book VII, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:
Pan, thou god of shepherds all, / Which of our tender lambkins takest keep.1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “December. Ægloga Duodecima.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC:
Often he used of his keep / A sacrifice to bring.1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “Iuly. Ægloga Septima.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC:
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Euphemistic, Obsolete A mistress (the other woman in an extramarital relationship, generally including sexual relations).
My Darling Girl, In London the other day I heard a piece of news which may amuse you. The French girl who shot her so-called Egyptian prince and is going to be tried for murder, is the fancy woman who was the Prince's 'keep' in Paris during the war […]1923 September 9, Lord Curzon, [Letter to his wife]: