Idioms for keep
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, nounWords nearby keep
British Dictionary definitions for keep from (1 of 2)
keep from
verb (preposition)
(foll by a gerund)
to prevent or restrain (oneself or another); refrain or cause to refrain
(tr)
to protect or preserve from
British Dictionary definitions for keep from (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 keep from (1 of 2)
keep from
Withhold; also, prevent. For example, What information are you keeping from me? or Please keep your dog from running through our garden. [c. 1340]
Restrain oneself, hold oneself back, as in I can hardly keep from laughing. [c. 1340]
Idioms and Phrases with keep from (2 of 2)
keep