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1. Conformity or harmony
   "his behaviour was not in keeping with the occasion"
    
2. The responsibility of a guardian or keeper
   "he left his car in my keeping";
   - guardianship, safekeeping
    
3. The act of retaining something
   - retention, holding

1. Retain possession of
   "Can I keep my old stuffed animals?"; "She kept her maiden name after she married";
   - hold on
    
2. Cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity
   "The students keep me on my toes";
   - maintain, hold
    
3. Resume or proceed in a certain state, condition, or activity
   "Keep on working!"; "Keep smiling";
   - continue, go on, proceed, go along
    
4. Stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state
   "His snoring kept me from falling asleep"; "Keep the child from eating the marbles";
   - prevent
    
5. Conform one's action or practice to
   "she never keeps her promises"; "We kept to the original conditions of the contract"; "keep appointments";
   - observe
    
6. Stick to correctly or closely
   "The pianist kept time with the metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all my employees";
   - 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"; "keep notes";
   - 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 or maintain a property or feature
    "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 keeps on a lawyer";
    - retain, continue, keep on
     
11. Supply with necessities and support
    "There's little to earn and many to keep";
    - sustain, maintain
     
12. Fail to spoil or rot
    "These potatoes keep for a long time";
    - stay fresh
     
13. Behave as expected during holidays or rites
    "Keep the commandments";
    - observe, celebrate
     
14. Maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger
    "May God keep you";
    - preserve
     
15. To rear
    "She keeps a few chickens in the yard"; "he keeps bees"
     
16. Retain rights to
    "keep my job for me while I give birth"; "keep open the possibility of a merger";
    - keep open, hold open, save
     
17. Normally leave or store
    "Where do you keep your gardening tools?"
     
18. 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"
     
19. Have and look after for use and service
    "She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips"; "I keep a car in the countryside";
    - maintain
     
20. Hold and prevent from leaving
    "The student was kept after school"
     
21. Prevent the action or expression of
    "keep your cool";
    - restrain, keep back, hold back
     
22. Prevent (food) from rotting
    "keep potatoes fresh";
    - preserve

Derived forms: keepings

See also: delay, hold over, hold up, stop, withstand

Type of: abidance, accommodate, act, book, compliance, confine, conformation, conformity, cook, detain, duty, enter, farm, fix [informal], grow, have, have got, hold, keep up, lodge, make, move, obligation, ownership, possession, prepare, produce, prolong, protect, put down, raise, ready, record, remain, reserve, responsibility, rest, stay, store, sustain

Antonym: allow, discontinue

Encyclopedia: Keeping, Michael