keep — to have or retain possession of something; to continue in a specified condition, position, or activity
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to have or retain possession of something; to continue in a specified condition, position, or activity
Pronunciation (IPA): /kiːp/
Example Sentences
- My grandmother always told me to keep my friends close and my snacks closer.
- I keep forgetting where I put my glasses while wearing them.
- She keeps all her important documents in a fireproof safe.
keep
VERB[/kiːp/]
to have or retain possession of something; to continue in a specified condition, position, or activity
She decides to keep her grandmother's old letters in a wooden box.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old English cēpan, meaning 'to observe, heed, watch, guard.' The word derives from a Proto-Germanic ancestor and has retained its core semantic field remarkably well through modern English, maintaining the sense of vigilant attention and custody.
Breakdown
cēpan (Old English root meaning 'to observe, heed, watch'). The morpheme structure shows no separable prefix or suffix in the original form; the word is a simple root verb that developed from Proto-Germanic foundations.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My grandmother always told me to keep my friends close and my snacks closer.”
“I keep forgetting where I put my glasses while wearing them.”
“She keeps all her important documents in a fireproof safe.”
“The students must keep quiet during the examination.”
“My cat keeps bringing me dead mice as presents, which is both disturbing and oddly sweet.”
📚Related Words
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