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Definition of 'keep' Noun
- the financial means whereby one lives; "each child was expected to pay for their keep"; "he applied to the state for support"; "he could no longer earn his own livelihood"
Synonyms: support livelihood living bread and butter sustenance - the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress
Synonyms: donjon dungeon - a cell in a jail or prison
Synonyms: hold Verb
- keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep clean"; "hold in place"; "She always held herself as a lady"; "The students keep me on my toes"
Synonyms: maintain hold - continue a certain state, condition, or activity; "Keep on working!"; "We continued to work into the night"; "Keep smiling"; "We went on working until well past midnight"
Synonyms: continue go on proceed go along
Antonyms: discontinue - retain possession of; "Can I keep my old stuffed animals?"; "She kept her maiden name after she married"
Synonyms: hold on
Antonyms: lose - prevent from doing something or being in a certain state; "We must prevent the cancer from spreading"; "His snoring kept me from falling asleep"; "Keep the child from eating the marbles"
Synonyms: prevent
Antonyms: let allow permit - conform one's action or practice to; "keep appointments"; "she never keeps her promises"; "We kept to the original conditions of the contract"
Synonyms: observe
Antonyms: transgress offend infract violate go against breach break - observe correctly or closely; "The pianist kept time with the metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all my employees"
Synonyms: observe maintain - look after; be the keeper of; have charge of; "He keeps the shop when I am gone"
- maintain by writing regular records; "keep a diary"; "maintain a record"; "keep notes"
Synonyms: maintain - supply with room and board; "He is keeping three women in the guest cottage"; "keep boarders"
- allow to remain in a place or position; "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"
Synonyms: retain continue keep on keep going - supply with necessities and support; "She alone sustained her family"; "The money will sustain our good cause"; "There's little to earn and many to keep"
Synonyms: sustain maintain - fail to spoil or rot; "These potatoes keep for a long time"
Synonyms: stay fresh - celebrate, as of holidays or rites; "Keep the commandments"; "celebrate Christmas"; "Observe Yom Kippur"
Synonyms: observe celebrate - keep under control; keep in check; "suppress a smile"; "Keep your temper"; "keep your cool"
Synonyms: restrain suppress keep back hold back - maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger; "May God keep you"
Synonyms: preserve - raise; "She keeps a few chickens in the yard"; "he keeps bees"
- retain rights to; "keep my job for me while I give birth"; "keep my seat, please"; "keep open the possibility of a merger"
Synonyms: keep open hold open save - store or keep customarily; "Where do you keep your gardening tools?"
- have as a supply; "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"
- maintain for use and service; "I keep a car in the countryside"; "She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips"
Synonyms: maintain - hold and prevent from leaving; "The student was kept after school"
- prevent (food) from rotting; "preserved meats"; "keep potatoes fresh"
Synonyms: preserve
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