Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - keep

 I. verb  (kept; ~ing)  Etymology: Middle English kepen, from Old English cepan; perhaps akin to Old High German chapfen to look  Date: before 12th century  transitive verb  1. to take notice of by appropriate conduct ; fulfill: as  a. to be faithful to ~ a promise  b. to act fittingly in relation to ~ the Sabbath  c. to conform to in habits or conduct ~ late hours  d. to stay in accord with (a beat) ~ time  2. preserve, maintain: as  a. to watch over and defend ~ us from harm  b.  (1) to take care of ; tend ~ a garden  (2) support  (3) to maintain in a good, fitting, or orderly condition — usually used with up  c. to continue to maintain ~ watch  d.  (1) to cause to remain in a given place, situation, or condition ~ him waiting  (2) to preserve (food) in an unspoiled condition  e.  (1) to have or maintain in an established position or relationship ~ a mistress — often used with on kept the cook on  (2) to lodge or feed for pay ~ boarders  f.  (1) to maintain a record in ~ a diary  (2) to enter in a book ~ records  g. to have customarily in stock for sale  3.  a. to restrain from departure or removal ; detain ~ children after school  b. hold back, restrain ~ them from going kept him back with difficulty  c. save, reserve ~ some for later kept some out for a friend  d. to refrain from revealing ~ a secret  4.  a. to retain in one's possession or power kept the money we found  b. to refrain from granting, giving, or allowing kept the news back  c. to have in control ~ your temper  5. to confine oneself to ~ my room  6.  a. to stay or continue in ~ the path ~ your seat  b. to stay or remain on or in usually against opposition ; hold kept her ground  7. conduct, manage ~ a tearoom  intransitive verb  1. chiefly British live, lodge  2.  a. to maintain a course, direction, or progress ~ to the right  b. to continue usually without interruption ~ talking ~ quiet ~ on smiling  c. to persist in a practice kept bothering them kept on smoking in spite of warnings  3. stay, remain ~ out of the way ~ off the grass: as  a. to stay even — usually used with up ~ up with the Joneses  b. to remain in good condition meat will ~ in the freezer  c. to remain secret the secret would ~  d. to call for no immediate action the matter will ~ until morning  4. abstain, refrain can't ~ from talking  5. to be in session school will ~ through the winter — W. M. Thayer  6. of a quarterback to retain possession of a football especially after faking a handoff Synonyms:  ~, observe, celebrate, commemorate mean to notice or honor a day, occasion, or deed. ~ stresses the idea of not neglecting or violating kept the Sabbath by refraining from work. observe suggests marking the occasion by ceremonious performance not all holidays are observed nationally. celebrate suggests acknowledging an occasion by festivity traditionally celebrates Thanksgiving with a huge dinner. commemorate suggests that an occasion is marked by observances that remind one of the origin and significance of the event commemorate Memorial Day with the laying of wreaths. Synonyms:  ~, retain, detain, withhold, reserve mean to hold in one's possession or under one's control. ~ may suggest a holding securely in one's possession, custody, or control ~ this while I'm gone. retain implies continued ~ing, especially against threatened seizure or forced loss managed to retain their dignity even in poverty. detain suggests a delay in letting go detained them for questioning. withhold implies restraint in letting go or a refusal to let go withheld information from the authorities. reserve suggests a ~ing in store for future use reserve some of your energy for the last mile.  II. noun  Date: 1579  1.  a. archaic custody, charge  b. maintenance  2. one that ~s or protects: as  a. fortress, castle; specifically the strongest and secureST PART OF A MEDIEVAL CASTLE  b. one whose job is to ~ or tend  c. prison, jail  3. the means or provisions by which one is kept earned his ~  4. ~er 5