keep down
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keep
(kēp)v. kept, keep·ing, keeps
v.tr.
1. To retain possession of: kept the change; must keep your composure.
2. To have as a supply: keep spare parts in case of emergency.
3.
a. To provide (a family, for example) with maintenance and support: "There's little to earn and many to keep" (Charles Kingsley).
b. To support (a mistress or lover) financially.
4. To put customarily; store: Where do you keep your saw?
5.
a. To supply with room and board for a charge: keep boarders.
b. To raise: keep chickens.
6. To maintain for use or service: an urbanite who didn't keep a car.
7. To manage, tend, or have charge of: Keep the shop while I'm away.
8. To preserve (food).
9. To cause to continue in a state, condition, or course of action: tried to keep the patient calm.
10.
a. To maintain records or entries in: keep a yearly diary.
b. To enter (data) in a book: keep financial records.
11.
a. To detain: was kept after school.
b. To restrain: kept the child away from the stove; kept the crowd back with barriers.
c. To prevent or deter: tried to keep the ice from melting.
d. To refrain from divulging: keep a secret.
e. To save; reserve: keep extra money for emergencies.
12. To adhere or conform to; follow: keep late hours.
13. To be faithful to; fulfill: keep one's word.
14. To celebrate; observe: keep the Sabbath.
v.intr.
1. To remain in a state or condition; stay: keep in line; keep quiet; kept well.
2. To continue to do: keep on talking; keep guessing.
3. To remain fresh or unspoiled: The dessert won't keep.
4. To restrain oneself; hold oneself back: I couldn't keep from eavesdropping.
n.
Phrasal Verbs: 1. Care; charge: The child is in my keep for the day.
2. The means by which one is supported: earn one's keep.
3.
a. The stronghold of a castle.
b. A jail.
keep at
To persevere in work or an action.
keep down
1. To prevent from growing, accomplishing, or succeeding: keep the revolutionaries down.
2. To hold under control or at a reduced level: Keep your voice down.
3. To refrain from vomiting: Although seasick, I managed to keep my food down.
keep off
To stay away from.
keep to
To adhere to: keep to the original purpose.
keep up
Idioms: 1. To maintain in good condition: kept up the property.
2. To persevere in; carry on: We asked her to stop talking, but she kept it up. To preserve or sustain: kept up the appearance of friendship.
3. To continue at the same level or pace: The snow kept up all day.
4. To continue to pay off (a financial obligation).
5. To match one's competitors, colleagues, or neighbors in success or lifestyle: couldn't keep up with his friends who went into business.
6. To remain adequately informed: loved to keep up on the gossip.
for keeps
1. For an indefinitely long period: gave the ring to me for keeps.
2. Seriously and permanently: We're separating for keeps.
keep an eye on
1. To watch over attentively; mind.
2. To watch closely or carefully: keep your eye on the ball.
keep an eye out
To be watchful.
keep a stiff upper lip
To be courageous or stoic in the face of adversity.
keep company
1. To carry on a courtship: a couple who kept company but never married.
2. To socialize or associate: keeps company with some tough thugs.
keep (one's) chin up
To be stalwart, courageous, or optimistic in the face of difficulty.
keep (one's) eyes open/peeled
To be on the lookout.
keep (one's) nose clean Informal
To stay out of trouble.
keep pace
To stay even with others, as in a contest.
keep (someone) company
To accompany or remain with.
keep the wolf from the door
To avoid the privation and suffering resulting from a lack of money: Both spouses had to work in order to keep the wolf from the door.
keep time
1. To indicate the correct time.
2. Music To maintain the tempo or rhythm.
keep to (oneself)
1. To shun the company of others: She kept to herself all morning.
2. To refrain from divulging: He kept the news to himself.
[Middle English kepen, from Old English cēpan, to observe, seize.]
Synonyms: keep, retain, withhold, reserve
These verbs mean to have and maintain in one's possession or control. Keep is the most general: We received a few offers but decided to keep the house. Retain means to continue to hold, especially in the face of possible loss: Though unhappy, he retained his sense of humor. Withhold implies reluctance or refusal to give, grant, or allow: The tenant withheld his rent until the owner fixed the boiler. To reserve is to hold back for the future or for a special purpose: The farmer reserved two acres for an orchard. See Also Synonyms at observe.
These verbs mean to have and maintain in one's possession or control. Keep is the most general: We received a few offers but decided to keep the house. Retain means to continue to hold, especially in the face of possible loss: Though unhappy, he retained his sense of humor. Withhold implies reluctance or refusal to give, grant, or allow: The tenant withheld his rent until the owner fixed the boiler. To reserve is to hold back for the future or for a special purpose: The farmer reserved two acres for an orchard. See Also Synonyms at observe.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
keep down
vb (adverb, mainly tr)
1. to repress; hold in submission
2. to restrain or control: he had difficulty keeping his anger down.
3. to cause not to increase or rise: prices were kept down for six months.
4. (intr) not to show oneself to one's opponents; lie low
5. to cause (food) to stay in the stomach; not vomit
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Verb | 1. | keep down - place a limit on the number of |
| 2. | keep down - put down by force or intimidation; "The government quashes any attempt of an uprising"; "China keeps down her dissidents very efficiently"; "The rich landowners subjugated the peasants working the land" | |
| 3. | keep down - manage not to throw up barf, be sick, puke, regorge, retch, sick, throw up, upchuck, vomit, vomit up, disgorge, cat, spue, spew, regurgitate, chuck, honk, purge, cast - eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth; "After drinking too much, the students vomited"; "He purged continuously"; "The patient regurgitated the food we gave him last night" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
لا يَرْفَعُ رأسَهيُبْقي في المَعِدَه، لا يَسْتَفْرِغيُسَيْطِر على، يُحَدِّد
holde det i sigholde nede
feküdj!
halda kyrru fyrirhalda niîrihalda niîri, takmarka
nevracaťzostať pri zemi
artmasını önlemekdenetim altında tutmakeğilmekkusmayı engellemek
keep
(kiːp) – past tense, past participle kept (kept) – verb1. to have for a very long or indefinite period of time. He gave me the picture to keep.
2. not to give or throw away; to preserve. I kept the most interesting books; Can you keep a secret?
3. to (cause to) remain in a certain state or position. I keep this gun loaded; How do you keep cool in this heat?; Will you keep me informed of what happens?
4. to go on (performing or repeating a certain action). He kept walking.
5. to have in store. I always keep a tin of baked beans for emergencies.
6. to look after or care for. She keeps the garden beautifully; I think they keep hens.
7. to remain in good condition. That meat won't keep in this heat unless you put it in the fridge.
8. to make entries in (a diary, accounts etc). She keeps a diary to remind her of her appointments; He kept the accounts for the club.
9. to hold back or delay. Sorry to keep you.
10. to provide food, clothes, housing for (someone). He has a wife and child to keep.
11. to act in the way demanded by. She kept her promise.
12. to celebrate. to keep Christmas.
noun food and lodging. She gives her mother money every week for her keep; Our cat really earns her keep – she kills all the mice in the house.
ˈkeeper noun1. a person who looks after something, eg animals in a zoo. The lion has killed its keeper.
2. a goalkeeper.
ˈkeeping noun care or charge. The money had been given into his keeping.
ˌkeep-ˈfit noun a series or system of exercises, usually simple, intended to improve the physical condition of ordinary people, especially women. She's very keen on keep-fit but it doesn't do her much good; (also adjective) keep-fit exercises.
ˈkeepsake (-seik) noun something given or taken to be kept in memory of the giver. She gave him a piece of her hair as a keepsake.
for keeps permanently. You can have this necklace for keeps.
in keeping with suited to. He has moved to a house more in keeping with his position as a headmaster.
keep away to (cause to) remain at a distance. Keep away – it's dangerous!
keep back1. not to (allow to) move forward. She kept the child back on the edge of the crowd; Every body keep back from the door!
2. not to tell or make known. I feel he's keeping the real story back for some reason.
3. not to give or pay out. Part of my allowance is kept back to pay for my meals; Will they keep it back every week?
keep one's distance to stay quite far away. The deer did not trust us and kept their distance.
keep down1. not to (allow to) rise up. Keep down – they're shooting at us!
2. to control or put a limit on. They are taking steps to keep down the rabbit population.
3. to digest without vomiting. He has eaten some food but he won't be able to keep it down.
keep one's end up to perform one's part in something just as well as all the others who are involved.
keep from to stop oneself from (doing something). I could hardly keep from hitting him.
keep going to go on doing something despite difficulties.
keep hold of not to let go of. Keep hold of those tickets!
keep house (for) to do the cooking, housework etc (for). She keeps house for her brother.
keep in1. not to allow to go or come out or outside. The teacher kept him in till he had finished the work.
2. to stay close to the side of a road etc.
keep in mind to remember and take into consideration later.
keep it up to carry on doing something at the same speed or as well as one is doing it at present. Your work is good – keep it up!
keep off1. to stay away. There are notices round the bomb warning people to keep off; The rain kept off and we had sunshine for the wedding.
2. to prevent from getting to or on to (something). This umbrella isn't pretty, but it keeps off the rain.
keep on to continue (doing something or moving). He just kept on writing; They kept on until they came to a petrol station.
keep oneself to oneself to tell others very little about oneself, and not to be very friendly or sociable.
keep out not to (allow to) enter. The notice at the building site said `Keep out!'; This coat keeps out the wind.
keep out of not to become involved in. Do try to keep out of trouble!
keep time (of a clock etc) to show the time accurately. Does this watch keep (good) time?
keep to not to leave or go away from. Keep to this side of the park!; We kept to the roads we knew.
keep (something) to oneself not to tell anyone (something). He kept his conclusions to himself.
keep up1. to continue, or cause to remain, in operation. I enjoy our friendship and try to keep it up.
2. (often with with) to move fast enough not to be left behind (by). Even the children managed to keep up; Don't run – I can't keep up with you.
keep up with the Joneses (ˈdʒounziz) to have everything one's neighbours have. She didn't need a new cooker – she just bought one to keep up with the Joneses.
keep watch to have the task of staying alert and watching for danger.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.