» keep

Words people most associate with “keep”:

  1. sake,
  2. castle,
  3. hold,
  4. give,
  5. safe

[via wordassociation.org]

Noun (3 meanings)

1. the financial means whereby one lives.

support, keep, livelihood, living, bread and butter, sustenance

Examples:
  • “each child was expected to pay for their keep”,
  • “he applied to the state for support”,
  • “he could no longer earn his own livelihood”
keep is a type of:
  • resource (noun) - available source of wealth
types of keep:
keep is derivationally related to:

2. the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress.

keep, donjon, dungeon

keep is a type of:
instances of keep:
  • Black Hole of Calcutta (noun) - a dungeon (20 feet square) in a fort in Calcutta where as many as 146 English prisoners were held overnight by Siraj-ud-daula
keep is a part of:
  • castle (noun) - a large building formerly occupied by a ruler and fortified against attack

3. a cell in a jail or prison.

hold, keep

keep is a type of:
keep is derivationally related to:
  • to keep (verb) - hold and prevent from leaving
  • to restrain, confine, hold (verb) - to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement

Verb (22 meanings)

1. keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep clean".

to keep, maintain, hold

Examples:
  • “hold in place”,
  • “She always held herself as a lady”,
  • “The students keep me on my toes”
ways to keep:
  • to preserve (verb) - keep undisturbed for personal or private use for hunting, shooting, or fishing
  • to pressurize, pressurise (verb) - maintain a certain pressure
to keep is derivationally related to:
see also:

2. continue a certain state, condition, or activity.

to continue, go on, proceed, go along, keep

Examples:
  • “Keep on working!”,
  • “We continued to work into the night”,
  • “Keep smiling”,
  • “We went on working until well past midnight”
to keep is the opposite of:
to keep is a way to:
  • to act, move (verb) - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
ways to keep:
  • to hold (verb) - remain in a certain state, position, or condition
  • to ride (verb) - continue undisturbed and without interference
  • to run on, keep going (verb) - continue uninterrupted
to keep is derivationally related to:
Verb group:

3. retain possession of.

to keep, hold on

Examples:
  • “Can I keep my old stuffed animals?”,
  • “She kept her maiden name after she married”
to keep is the opposite of:
  • to lose (verb) - fail to keep or to maintain
to keep is a way to:
  • to have, have got, hold (verb) - have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense
ways to keep:
to keep is derivationally related to:
see also:
Verb group:

4. stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state.

to prevent, keep

Examples:
  • “We must prevent the cancer from spreading”,
  • “His snoring kept me from falling asleep”,
  • “Keep the child from eating the marbles”
to keep is the opposite of:
  • to let, allow, permit (verb) - make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
ways to keep:
to keep is derivationally related to:
Verb group:
  • to keep (verb) - hold and prevent from leaving

5. conform one's action or practice to.

to observe, keep

Examples:
  • “keep appointments”,
  • “she never keeps her promises”,
  • “We kept to the original conditions of the contract”
to keep is the opposite of:
ways to keep:
to keep is derivationally related to:

6. stick to correctly or closely.

to observe, keep, maintain

Examples:
  • “The pianist kept time with the metronome”,
  • “keep count”,
  • “I cannot keep track of all my employees”
to keep is derivationally related to:

7. look after; be the keeper of; have charge of.

to keep

Example:
  • “He keeps the shop when I am gone”
to keep is a way to:
  • to have, have got, hold (verb) - have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense
ways to keep:
to keep is derivationally related to:
Verb group:
  • to keep, preserve (verb) - maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger

8. maintain by writing regular records.

to keep, maintain

Examples:
  • “keep a diary”,
  • “maintain a record”,
  • “keep notes”
to keep is a way to:

9. supply with room and board.

to keep

Examples:
  • “He is keeping three women in the guest cottage”,
  • “keep boarders”
to keep is a way to:

10. allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature.

to retain, continue, keep, keep on

Examples:
  • “We cannot continue several servants any longer”,
  • “She retains a lawyer”,
  • “The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff”,
  • “Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on”,
  • “We kept the work going as long as we could”,
  • “She retained her composure”,
  • “this garment retains its shape even after many washings”
to keep is a way to:
to keep is derivationally related to:
Verb group:

11. supply with necessities and support.

to sustain, keep, maintain

Examples:
  • “She alone sustained her family”,
  • “The money will sustain our good cause”,
  • “There's little to earn and many to keep”
to keep is a way to:
  • to have, have got, hold (verb) - have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense
ways to keep:
  • to carry (verb) - keep up with financial support
  • to patronage (verb) - support by being a patron of
  • to reseed (verb) - maintain by seeding without human intervention
to keep is derivationally related to:

12. fail to spoil or rot.

to keep, stay fresh

Example:
  • “These potatoes keep for a long time”
to keep is a way to:
Verb group:

13. behave as expected during of holidays or rites.

to observe, celebrate, keep

Examples:
  • “Keep the commandments”,
  • “celebrate Christmas”,
  • “Observe Yom Kippur”
ways to keep:
  • to commemorate, mark (verb) - mark by some ceremony or observation
  • to mourn (verb) - observe the customs of mourning after the death of a loved one
  • to solemnize, solemnise (verb) - observe or perform with dignity or gravity
to keep is derivationally related to:
  • law-abiding, observant (adjective) - (of individuals) adhering strictly to laws and rules and customs

14. keep under control; keep in check.

to restrain, keep, keep back, hold back

Examples:
  • “suppress a smile”,
  • “Keep your temper”,
  • “keep your cool”
to keep is a way to:
ways to keep:
to keep is derivationally related to:

15. maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger.

to keep, preserve

Example:
  • “May God keep you”
to keep is a way to:
  • to protect (verb) - shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage
to keep is derivationally related to:
  • preservation, saving (noun) - the activity of protecting something from loss or danger
  • preserve (noun) - a reservation where animals are protected
  • preserver (noun) - someone who keeps safe from harm or danger
Verb group:
  • to keep (verb) - look after

16. raise.

to keep

Examples:
  • “She keeps a few chickens in the yard”,
  • “he keeps bees”
to keep is a way to:
  • to grow, raise, farm, produce (verb) - cultivate by growing, often involving improvements by means of agricultural techniques
ways to keep:
  • to herd (verb) - keep, move, or drive animals

17. retain rights to.

to keep open, hold open, keep, save

Examples:
  • “keep my job for me while I give birth”,
  • “keep my seat, please”,
  • “keep open the possibility of a merger”
to keep is a way to:
  • to reserve, hold, book (verb) - arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance
Verb group:

18. store or keep customarily.

to keep

Example:
  • “Where do you keep your gardening tools?”
to keep is a way to:
  • to store (verb) - find a place for and put away for storage
Verb group:
  • to keep (verb) - have as a supply

19. have as a supply.

to keep

Examples:
  • “I always keep batteries in the freezer”,
  • “keep food for a week in the pantry”,
  • “She keeps a sixpack and a week's worth of supplies in the refrigerator”
to keep is a way to:
  • to have, have got, hold (verb) - have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense
Verb group:
  • to keep (verb) - store or keep customarily

20. maintain for use and service.

to keep, maintain

Examples:
  • “I keep a car in the countryside”,
  • “She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips”
to keep is a way to:
  • to have, have got, hold (verb) - have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense

21. hold and prevent from leaving.

to keep

Example:
  • “The student was kept after school”
to keep is a way to:
to keep is derivationally related to:
  • hold, keep (noun) - a cell in a jail or prison
Verb group:
  • to prevent, keep (verb) - stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state

22. prevent (food) from rotting.

to preserve, keep

Examples:
  • “preserved meats”,
  • “keep potatoes fresh”
to keep is a way to:
ways to keep:
  • to can, tin, put up (verb) - preserve in a can or tin
  • to conserve (verb) - preserve with sugar
  • to corn (verb) - preserve with salt
  • to cure (verb) - prepare by drying, salting, or chemical processing in order to preserve
  • to dehydrate, desiccate (verb) - preserve by removing all water and liquids from
  • to freeze-dry (verb) - preserve by rapid freezing and subsequently drying in a vacuum
  • to pickle (verb) - preserve in a pickling liquid
  • to refrigerate (verb) - preserve by chilling
  • to salt (verb) - preserve with salt
to keep is derivationally related to:
Verb group: