Overview of noun keeping

The noun keeping has 3 senses

• keeping -- (conformity or harmony; "his behavior was not in keeping with the occasion")


• guardianship, keeping, safekeeping -- (the responsibility of a guardian or keeper; "he left his car in my keeping")


• retention, keeping, holding -- (the act of retaining something)

Overview of verb keep

The verb keep has 22 senses

• keep, maintain, hold -- (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")


• continue, go on, proceed, go along, keep -- (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")


• keep, hold on -- (retain possession of; "Can I keep my old stuffed animals?"; "She kept her maiden name after she married")


• prevent, keep -- (stop (someone or something) 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")


• observe, keep -- (conform one's action or practice to; "keep appointments"; "she never keeps her promises"; "We kept to the original conditions of the contract")


• observe, keep, maintain -- (stick to correctly or closely; "The pianist kept time with the metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all my employees")


• keep -- (look after; be the keeper of; have charge of; "He keeps the shop when I am gone")


• keep, maintain -- (maintain by writing regular records; "keep a diary"; "maintain a record"; "keep notes")


• keep -- (supply with room and board; "He is keeping three women in the guest cottage"; "keep boarders")


• retain, continue, keep, keep on -- (allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature; "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"; "She retained her composure"; "this garment retains its shape even after many washings")


• sustain, keep, maintain -- (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")


• keep, stay fresh -- (fail to spoil or rot; "These potatoes keep for a long time")


• observe, celebrate, keep -- (behave as expected during of holidays or rites; "Keep the commandments"; "celebrate Christmas"; "Observe Yom Kippur")


• restrain, keep, keep back, hold back -- (keep under control; keep in check; "suppress a smile"; "Keep your temper"; "keep your cool")


• keep, preserve -- (maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger; "May God keep you")


• keep -- (raise; "She keeps a few chickens in the yard"; "he keeps bees")


• keep open, hold open, keep, save -- (retain rights to; "keep my job for me while I give birth"; "keep my seat, please"; "keep open the possibility of a merger")


• keep -- (store or keep customarily; "Where do you keep your gardening tools?")


• keep -- (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")


• keep, maintain -- (maintain for use and service; "I keep a car in the countryside"; "She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips")


• keep -- (hold and prevent from leaving; "The student was kept after school")


• preserve, keep -- (prevent (food) from rotting; "preserved meats"; "keep potatoes fresh")