Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Keep \Keep\ (k[=e]p), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Kept}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Keeping}.] [OE. k?pen, AS. c?pan to keep, regard, desire,
   await, take, betake; cf. AS. copenere lover, OE. copnien to
   desire.]
   1. To care; to desire. [Obs.]

            I kepe not of armes for to yelp [boast]. --Chaucer.

   2. To hold; to restrain from departure or removal; not to let
      go of; to retain in one's power or possession; not to
      lose; to retain; to detain.

            If we lose the field, We can not keep the town.
                                                  --Shak.

            That I may know what keeps me here with you.
                                                  --Dryden.

            If we would weigh and keep in our minds what we are
            considering, that would instruct us.  --Locke.

   3. To cause to remain in a given situation or condition; to
      maintain unchanged; to hold or preserve in any state or
      tenor.

            His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal. --Milton.

            Keep a stiff rein, and move but gently on.
                                                  --Addison.

   Note: In this sense it is often used with prepositions and
         adverbs, as to keep away, to keep down, to keep from,
         to keep in, out, or off, etc. ``To keep off
         impertinence and solicitation from his superior.''
         --Addison.

   4. To have in custody; to have in some place for
      preservation; to take charge of.

            The crown of Stephanus, first king of Hungary, was
            always kept in the castle of Vicegrade. --Knolles.

   5. To preserve from danger, harm, or loss; to guard.

            Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee. --Gen.
                                                  xxviii. 15.

   6. To preserve from discovery or publicity; not to
      communicate, reveal, or betray, as a secret.

            Great are thy virtues . . . though kept from man.
                                                  --Milton.

   7. To attend upon; to have the care of; to tend.

            And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the
            garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. --Gen.
                                                  ii. 15.

            In her girlish age, she kept sheep on the moor.
                                                  --Carew.

   8. To record transactions, accounts, or events in; as, to
      keep books, a journal, etc.; also, to enter (as accounts,
      records, etc. ) in a book.

   9. To maintain, as an establishment, institution, or the
      like; to conduct; to manage; as, to keep store.

            Like a pedant that keeps a school.    --Shak.

            Every one of them kept house by himself. --Hayward.

   10. To supply with necessaries of life; to entertain; as, to
       keep boarders.

   11. To have in one's service; to have and maintain, as an
       assistant, a servant, a mistress, a horse, etc.

             I keep but three men and a boy.      --Shak.

   12. To have habitually in stock for sale.

   13. To continue in, as a course or mode of action; not to
       intermit or fall from; to hold to; to maintain; as, to
       keep silence; to keep one's word; to keep possession.

             Both day and night did we keep company. --Shak.

             Within this portal as I kept my watch. --Smollett.

   14. To observe; to adhere to; to fulfill; not to swerve from
       or violate; to practice or perform, as duty; not to
       neglect; to be faithful to.

             I have kept the faith.               --2 Tim. iv.
                                                  7.

             Him whom to love is to obey, and keep His great
             command.                             --Milton.

   15. To confine one's self to; not to quit; to remain in; as,
       to keep one's house, room, bed, etc.; hence, to haunt; to
       frequent. --Shak.

             'Tis hallowed ground; Fairies, and fawns, and
             satyrs do it keep.                   --J. Fletcher.

   16. To observe duty, as a festival, etc.; to celebrate; to
       solemnize; as, to keep a feast.

             I went with them to the house of God . . . with a
             multitude that kept holyday.         --Ps. xlii. 4.

   {To keep at arm's length}. See under {Arm}, n.

   {To keep back}.
       (a) To reserve; to withhold. ``I will keep nothing back
           from you.'' --Jer. xlii. 4.
       (b) To restrain; to hold back. ``Keep back thy servant
           also from presumptuous sins.'' --Ps. xix. 13.

   {To keep company with}.
       (a) To frequent the society of; to associate with; as,
           let youth keep company with the wise and good.
       (b) To accompany; to go with; as, to keep company with
           one on a voyage; also, to pay court to, or accept
           attentions from, with a view to marriage. [Colloq.]
           

   {To keep counsel}. See under {Counsel}, n.

   {To keep down}.
       (a) To hold in subjection; to restrain; to hinder.
       (b) (Fine Arts) To subdue in tint or tone, as a portion
           of a picture, so that the spectator's attention may
           not be diverted from the more important parts of the
           work.

   {To keep good} (or {bad}) {hours}, to be customarily early
      (or late) in returning home or in retiring to rest. -- {To
   keep house}.
       (a) To occupy a separate house or establishment, as with
           one's family, as distinguished from boarding; to
           manage domestic affairs.
       (b) (Eng. Bankrupt Law) To seclude one's self in one's
           house in order to evade the demands of creditors. --
   {To keep one's hand in}, to keep in practice. -- {To keep
   open house}, to be hospitable. -- {To keep the peace} (Law),
      to avoid or to prevent a breach of the peace. -- {To keep
   school}, to govern, manage and instruct or teach a school, as
      a preceptor. -- {To keep a stiff upper lip}, to keep up
      one's courage. [Slang] -- {To keep term}.
       (a) (Eng. Universities) To reside during a term.
       (b) (Inns of Court) To eat a sufficient number of dinners
           in hall to make the term count for the purpose of
           being called to the bar. [Eng.] --Mozley & W.

   {To keep touch}. See under {Touch}, n.

   {To keep under}, to hold in subjection; hence, to oppress.

   {To keep up}.
       (a) To maintain; to prevent from falling or diminution;
           as, to keep up the price of goods; to keep up one's
           credit.
       (b) To maintain; to continue; to prevent from ceasing.
           ``In joy, that which keeps up the action is the
           desire to continue it.'' --Locke.

   Syn: To retain; detain; reserve; preserve; hold; restrain;
        maintain; sustain; support; withhold. -- To {Keep}.

   Usage: {Retain}, {Preserve}. Keep is the generic term, and is
          often used where retain or preserve would too much
          restrict the meaning; as, to keep silence, etc. Retain
          denotes that we keep or hold things, as against
          influences which might deprive us of them, or reasons
          which might lead us to give them up; as, to retain
          vivacity in old age; to retain counsel in a lawsuit;
          to retain one's servant after a reverse of fortune.
          Preserve denotes that we keep a thing against agencies
          which might lead to its being destroyed or broken in
          upon; as, to preserve one's health; to preserve
          appearances.

Keep \Keep\, v. i.
   1. To remain in any position or state; to continue; to abide;
      to stay; as, to keep at a distance; to keep aloft; to keep
      near; to keep in the house; to keep before or behind; to
      keep in favor; to keep out of company, or out reach.

   2. To last; to endure; to remain unimpaired.

            If the malt be not thoroughly dried, the ale it
            makes will not keep.                  --Mortimer.

   3. To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell. [Now disused
      except locally or colloquially.]

            Knock at his study, where, they say, he keeps.
                                                  --Shak.

   4. To take care; to be solicitous; to watch. [Obs.]

            Keep that the lusts choke not the word of God that
            is in us.                             --Tyndale.

   5. To be in session; as, school keeps to-day. [Colloq.]

   {To keep from}, to abstain or refrain from.

   {To keep in with}, to keep on good terms with; as, to keep in
      with an opponent.

   {To keep on}, to go forward; to proceed; to continue to
      advance.

   {To keep to}, to adhere strictly to; not to neglect or
      deviate from; as, to keep to old customs; to keep to a
      rule; to keep to one's word or promise.

   {To keep up}, to remain unsubdued; also, not to be confined
      to one's bed.

Keep \Keep\, n.
   1. The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed;
      charge. --Chaucer.

            Pan, thou god of shepherds all, Which of our tender
            lambkins takest keep.                 --Spenser.

   2. The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition;
      case; as, to be in good keep.

   3. The means or provisions by which one is kept; maintenance;
      support; as, the keep of a horse.

            Grass equal to the keep of seven cows. --Carlyle.

            I performed some services to the college in return
            for my keep.                          --T. Hughes.

   4. That which keeps or protects; a stronghold; a fortress; a
      castle; specifically, the strongest and securest part of a
      castle, often used as a place of residence by the lord of
      the castle, especially during a siege; the donjon. See
      Illust. of {Castle}.

            The prison strong, Within whose keep the captive
            knights were laid.                    --Dryden.

            The lower chambers of those gloomy keeps. --Hallam.

            I think . . . the keep, or principal part of a
            castle, was so called because the lord and his
            domestic circle kept, abode, or lived there. --M. A.
                                                  Lower.

   5. That which is kept in charge; a charge. [Obs.]

            Often he used of his keep A sacrifice to bring.
                                                  --Spenser.

   6. (Mach.) A cap for retaining anything, as a journal box, in
      place.

   {To take keep}, to take care; to heed. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Source : WordNet®

keep
     n 1: 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" [syn: {support}, {livelihood}, {living}, {bread
          and butter}, {sustenance}]
     2: the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or
        fortress [syn: {donjon}, {dungeon}]
     3: a cell in a jail or prison [syn: {hold}]
     [also: {kept}]

keep
     v 1: 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" [syn: {maintain},
           {hold}]
     2: 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"
        [syn: {continue}, {go on}, {proceed}, {go along}] [ant: {discontinue}]
     3: retain possession of; "Can I keep my old stuffed animals?";
        "She kept her maiden name after she married" [syn: {hold
        on}] [ant: {lose}]
     4: 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" [syn: {prevent}] [ant: {let}]
     5: conform one's action or practice to; "keep appointments";
        "she never keeps her promises"; "We kept to the original
        conditions of the contract" [syn: {observe}]
     6: observe correctly or closely; "The pianist kept time with
        the metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all
        my employees" [syn: {observe}, {maintain}]
     7: look after; be the keeper of; have charge of; "He keeps the
        shop when I am gone"
     8: maintain by writing regular records; "keep a diary";
        "maintain a record"; "keep notes" [syn: {maintain}]
     9: supply with room and board; "He is keeping three women in
        the guest cottage"; "keep boarders"
     10: 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" [syn: {retain}, {continue}, {keep on}, {keep going}]
     11: 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" [syn: {sustain},
          {maintain}]
     12: fail to spoil or rot; "These potatoes keep for a long time"
         [syn: {stay fresh}]
     13: celebrate, as of holidays or rites; "Keep the commandments";
         "celebrate Christmas"; "Observe Yom Kippur" [syn: {observe},
          {celebrate}]
     14: keep under control; keep in check; "suppress a smile"; "Keep
         your temper"; "keep your cool" [syn: {restrain}, {suppress},
          {keep back}, {hold back}]
     15: maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger; "May God
         keep you" [syn: {preserve}]
     16: raise; "She keeps a few chickens in the yard"; "he keeps
         bees"
     17: retain rights to; "keep my job for me while I give birth";
         "keep my seat, please"; "keep open the possibility of a
         merger" [syn: {keep open}, {hold open}, {save}]
     18: store or keep customarily; "Where do you keep your gardening
         tools?"
     19: 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"
     20: maintain for use and service; "I keep a car in the
         countryside"; "She keeps an apartment in Paris for her
         shopping trips" [syn: {maintain}]
     21: hold and prevent from leaving; "The student was kept after
         school"
     22: prevent (food) from rotting; "preserved meats"; "keep
         potatoes fresh" [syn: {preserve}]
     [also: {kept}]