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 out (1 of 2)
keep out
verb (adverb)
to remain or cause to remain outside
keep out of
- to remain or cause to remain unexposed tokeep out of the sun
- to avoid or cause to avoidthe boss is in an angry mood, so keep out of her way
British Dictionary definitions for keep out (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 out
keep