keeping

[ kee-ping ]
/ ˈki pɪŋ /

noun

agreement or conformity in things or elements associated together: His actions are not in keeping with his words.
the act of a person or thing that keeps; observance, custody, or care.
maintenance or keep.
holding, reserving, or retaining.

Origin of keeping

First recorded in 1250–1300, keeping is from the Middle English word keping. See keep, -ing1

synonym study for keeping

2. See custody.

Definition for keeping (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, noun

Example sentences from the Web for keeping

British Dictionary definitions for keeping (1 of 2)

keeping
/ (ˈkiːpɪŋ) /

noun

conformity or harmony (esp in the phrases in or out of keeping)
charge or care valuables in the keeping of a bank

British Dictionary definitions for keeping (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 keeping

keep