kept
[ kept ]
/ kɛpt /
verb
simple past tense and past participle of keep.
adjective
having the expression of principles, ideas, etc., controlled, dominated, or determined by one whose money provides support: a kept press; a kept writer.
Origin of kept
1670–80
for def 2
OTHER WORDS FROM kept
un·kept, adjective well-kept, adjectiveWords nearby kept
Definition for kept (2 of 2)
Origin of keep
before 1000; Middle English
kepen, Old English
cēpan to observe, heed, watch, await, take; perhaps akin to Old English
gecōp proper, fitting,
capian to look, Old Norse
kōpa to stare
SYNONYMS FOR keep
1
Keep,
reserve,
retain,
withhold refer to having and holding in possession.
Keep (a common word) and
retain (a more formal one) agree in meaning to continue to have or hold, as opposed to losing, parting with, or giving up:
to keep a book for a week.
To reserve is to keep for some future use, occasion, or recipient, or to hold back for a time:
to reserve judgment.
To withhold is generally to hold back altogether:
to withhold help.
6 preserve.
8 detain, confine.
41 donjon, dungeon, stronghold.
OTHER WORDS FROM keep
keep·a·ble, adjective keep·a·bil·i·ty, nounExample sentences from the Web for kept
British Dictionary definitions for kept (1 of 2)
kept
/ (kɛpt) /
verb
the past tense and past participle of keep
kept woman censorious
a woman maintained by a man as his mistress
British Dictionary definitions for kept (2 of 2)
keep
/ (kiːp) /
verb keeps, keeping or kept (kɛpt)
noun
Word Origin for keep
Old English
cēpan to observe; compare Old Saxon
kapōn to look, Old Norse
kōpa to stare
Idioms and Phrases with kept
keep