Tra từ keep - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

keep [keep keeps kept keeping] verb, noun BrE [kiːp] NAmE [kiːp]
verb (kept, keptBrE [kept] ; NAmE [kept] )

STAY
1. intransitive, transitive to stay in a particular condition or position; to make sb/sth do this
•+ adj. We huddled together to keep warm.
•+ adv./prep. The notice said ‘Keep off (= Do not walk on) the grass’.
•Keep left along the wall.
•~ sb/sth + adj. She kept the children amused for hours.
•~ sb/sth (+ adv./prep.) He kept his coat on.
•Don't keep us in suspense — what happened next?
•She had trouble keeping her balance.
•~ sb/sth doing sth I'm very sorry to keep you waiting.

CONTINUE
2. intransitive to continue doing sth; to do sth repeatedly
•~ doing sth Keep smiling!
•~ on doing sth Don't keep on interrupting me!

DELAY
3. transitive ~ sb to delay sb
Syn: ↑hold somebody up
•You're an hour late— what kept you?

NOT GIVE BACK
4. transitive ~ sth to continue to have sth and not give it back or throw it away
• Here's a five dollar bill— please keep the change.
• I keep all her letters.

SAVE FOR SB
5. transitive (especially BrE)to save sth for sb
•~ sth for sb Please keep a seat for me.
•~ sb sth Please keep me a seat.

PUT/STORE
6. transitive ~ sth + adv./prep. to put or store sth in a particular place
• Keep your passport in a safe place.

SHOP/RESTAURANT
7. transitive ~ sth (especially BrE)to own and manage a shop/store or restaurant
• Her father kept a grocer's shop.

ANIMALS
8. transitive ~ sth to own and care for animals
•to keep bees/goats/hens

ABOUT HEALTH
9. intransitive + adv./prep. (informal)used to ask or talk about sb's health
•How is your mother keeping?
•We're all keeping well.

OF FOOD
10. intransitive to remain in good condition
•Finish off the pie— it won't keep.
• (informal, figurative)‘I'd love to hear about it, but I'm late already.’ ‘That's OK— it'll keep (= I can tell you about it later).’

SECRET
11. transitive ~ a secret | ~ sth secret (from sb) to know sth and not tell it to anyone
• Can you keep a secret?
• She kept her past secret from us all.

PROMISE/APPOINTMENT
12. transitive ~ your promise/word | ~ an appointment to do what you have promised to do; to go where you have agreed to go
• She kept her promise to visit them.
• He failed to keep his appointment at the clinic.

DIARY/RECORD
13. transitive ~ a diary, an account, a record, etc. to write down sth as a record
• She kept a diary for over twenty years.
• Keep a note of where each item can be found.
•I kept a weekly account of my workload and activities.

SUPPORT SB
14. transitive ~ sb/yourself to provide what is necessary for sb to live; to support sb by paying for food, etc
• He scarcely earns enough to keep himself and his family.

PROTECT
15. transitive (formal)to protect sb from sth
•~ sb May the Lord bless you and keep you (= used in prayers in the Christian Church).
•~ sb from sth His only thought was to keep the boy from harm.

IN SPORT
16. transitive ~ goal/wicket (BrE) (in football ( ↑soccer ), ↑hockey, ↑cricket, etc.)to guard or protect the goal or ↑wicket
see also ↑goalkeeper, ↑wicketkeeper
Rem: Most idioms containing keep are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example keep house is at house.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
late Old English cēpan ‘seize, take in’, also ‘care for, attend to’, of unknown origin.

Thesaurus:
keep verb
1. I, T
•We managed to keep warm.
stay • |formal remain •
keep/stay/remain awake/calm/cheerful/cool/dry/fine/healthy/quiet/silent
keep/stay close/still/warm
stay/remain alert/alive/asleep/loyal/safe/the same/a secret/shut/sober/upright
2. T, I (especially spoken)
•Keep smiling!
continue • • go on with sth/go on doing sth • • keep sth up/keep up with sth • • press ahead/on • |especially spoken carry (sth) on • • stick with sb/sth •
Opp: stop, Opp: give sth up
keep on/continue/go on/keep up/press ahead/carry on/stick with sth
keep/continue/go on/carry on/press ahead with doing sth
keep/continue/go on/carry on fighting/working/talking/improving sth/believing/building sth
3. T
•I've kept all her letters.
hold onto sth • • save • |formal retain •
Opp: lose, Opp: throw sth away
keep/retain control (of sth)
still keep/hold onto/retain sth
Keep or retain? Retain is formal and not used in spoken English. It often suggests that the thing that you keep will be useful in the future. Keep is a more general word.
4. T (especially BrE)
•I've kept two seats for us at the front.
save • • reserve • • hold •
Opp: give sth up
keep/save/reserve/hold sth for sb/sth
keep/save/reserve/hold a seat/place for sb/sth
keep/save some food for sb
Keep, save or reserve? Reserve is used especially when sth is officially saved for sb/sth. Keep and save are more often used if sth is saved for you unofficially, for example by a friend.
5. T
•Where do you keep the sugar?
store • • hoard • • stock up • • stockpile • |informal stash •
keep/store/hoard/stock up on/stockpile food
keep/store/stockpile weapons
keep/hoard/stash money
6. T
•My aunt kept chickens in her back yard.
breed • • rear • • raise •
keep/breed/rear sth for sth
keep/breed/rear/raise animals/cattle/horses/sheep
keep/breed/rear/raise sth in captivity
7. T
•She kept her promise to visit them.
carry sth out • • stand by sth • |AmE follow through • |BrE, formal honour • |AmE honor • |especially journalism business deliver •
Opp: break
keep/carry out/follow through on/honour/deliver on a promise
keep/stand by/follow through on/honour your word
keep to/stand by/follow through on/honour an agreement
keep to/carry out/stand by/follow through on a plan
Keep or honour? Honour is much more formal than keep in most cases. You can keep but not honour an appointment or engagement; you can honour but not keep sb's wishes.
8. T
•Keep a record of your child's illnesses.
hold • • store • |formal retain •
keep/hold/store/retain information/data
keep/hold a record/records
still/no longer keep/hold/store/retain sth
9. T (BrE)
•She doesn't earn enough to keep a family.
support • • provide for sb • • maintain •
keep/support/provide for/maintain a family/children/wife/husband
keep/support/provide for/maintain yourself
Which word? You can provide for sb on a continuous basis or by making a large one-off payment. If you keep, support or maintain sb, you provide for them on a continuous basis over a period of time.

Example Bank:
•Milk and cream should keep quite well in a fridge.
•Don't keep us in suspense — what happened next?
•I could not keep silent any longer.
•I want to keep on with part-time work for as long as possible.
•I wish you wouldn't keep on interrupting me!
•I'm amazed that she keeps so cheerful.
•I'm very sorry to keep you waiting.
•I've kept all her letters.
•I've kept two seats for us near the front.
•If we all keep to the agreement there won't be any problems.
•It was difficult for the team to keep to the plan.
•Keep close to me.
•My grandmother kept chickens in her back yard.
•Residents are not allowed to keep pets.
•Separate accounts must be kept for each different business activity.
•She had trouble keeping her balance.
•She handed me a ten dollar bill. ‘Here— keep the change.’
•She needed to keep busy.
•Sit down and keep calm!
•The documents are all kept under lock and key.
•The man in the shop said he'd keep it for me until Friday.
•The notice said ‘Keep off the grass’.
•This voucher should be kept. It will be accepted by the Inland Revenue as evidence of a Tax Credit.
•Try to keep active in the cold weather.
•Village clerks were unable to keep a proper record of deaths because they were so frequent.
•We managed to keep dry by huddling in a doorway.
•Where do you keep the sugar?
•to keep bees/goats
•At the time many working men did not earn enough to keep a wife and children.
•He kept himself by giving private lessons.
•I must go now. I've kept you from your dinner too long.
•I need to work— I can't go on being a kept man.
•I won't keep you long. I've just got a couple of quick questions.
•You're an hour late— what kept you?
Idioms: ↑for keeps ▪ ↑keep going ▪ ↑keep somebody going
Derived: ↑keep at something ▪ ↑keep away ▪ ↑keep back ▪ ↑keep down ▪ ↑keep from something ▪ ↑keep in with somebody ▪ ↑keep off ▪ ↑keep off something ▪ ↑keep on ▪ ↑keep out ▪ ↑keep out of something ▪ ↑keep somebody after ▪ ↑keep somebody at something ▪ ↑keep somebody away ▪ ↑keep somebody back ▪ ↑keep somebody down ▪ ↑keep somebody from something ▪ ↑keep somebody in ▪ ↑keep somebody in something ▪ ↑keep somebody off ▪ ↑keep somebody off somebody ▪ ↑keep somebody on ▪ ↑keep somebody out ▪ ↑keep somebody out of something ▪ ↑keep somebody under ▪ ↑keep somebody up ▪ ↑keep something back ▪ ↑keep something down ▪ ↑keep something from somebody ▪ ↑keep something from something ▪ ↑keep something in ▪ ↑keep something on ▪ ↑keep something to yourself ▪ ↑keep something up ▪ ↑keep to something ▪ ↑keep to yourself ▪ ↑keep up ▪ ↑keep up with somebody ▪ ↑keep up with something ▪ ↑keep yourself from something

noun
1. uncountable food, clothes and all the other things that a person needs to live; the cost of these things
•It's about time you got a job to earn your keep.
2. countable a large strong tower, built as part of an old castle
more at earn your keep at ↑earn

Word Origin:
late Old English cēpan ‘seize, take in’, also ‘care for, attend to’, of unknown origin.

Example Bank:
•He made his way up a flight of steep stairs and into the main keep of the castle.
•It's about time you got a job to earn your keep.

See also: ↑keep somebody after ▪ ↑keep somebody back