16. To observe duty, as a festival, etc. ; to celebrate; to solemnize; as, to keep a feast. I went with them to the house of God . . . with a multitude that kept holyday. Ps. xlii. 4. To keep at arm's length. See under Arm, n. — To keep back. (a) To reserve; to withhold. "I will keep nothing back from you." Jer. xlii. 4. (b) To restrain; to hold back. "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins." Ps. xix. 13. — To keep company with. (a) To frequent the society of; to associate with; as, let youth keep company with the wise and good. (b) To accompany; to go with; as, to keep company with one on a voyage; also, to pay court to, or accept attentions from, with a view to marriage. [Colloq.] — To keep counsel. See under Counsel, n. — To keep down. (a) To hold in subjection; to restrain; to hinder. (b) (Fine Arts) To subdue in tint or tone, as a portion of a picture, so that the spectator's attention may not be diverted from the more important parts of the work. — To keep good (or bad) hours, to be customarily early (or late) in returning home or in retiring to rest. — To keep house. (a) To occupy a separate house or establishment, as with one's family, as distinguished from boarding; to manage domestic affairs. (b) (Eng. Bankrupt Law) To seclude one's self in one's house in order to evade the demands of creditors. — To keep one's hand in, to keep in practice. — To keep open house, to be hospitable. — To keep the peace (Law), to avoid or to prevent a breach of the peace. — To keep school, to govern, manage and instruct or teach a school, as a preceptor. — To keep a stiff upper lip, to keep up one's courage. [Slang] — To keep term. (a) (Eng. Universities) To reside during a term. (b) (Inns of Court) To eat a sufficient number of dinners in hall to make the term count for the purpose of being called to the bar. [Eng.] Mozley & W. — To keep touch. See under Touch, n. — To keep under, to hold in subjection; hence, to oppress. — To keep up. (a) To maintain; to prevent from falling or diminution; as, to keep up the price of goods; to keep up one's credit. (b) To maintain; to continue; to prevent from ceasing. "In joy, that which keeps up the action is the desire to continue it." Locke.

Syn. — To retain; detain; reserve; preserve; hold; restrain; maintain; sustain; support; withhold. — To Keep. Retain, Preserve. Keep is the generic term, and is often used where retain or preserve would too much restrict the meaning; as, to keep silence, etc. Retain denotes that we keep or hold things, as against influences which might deprive us of them, or reasons which might lead us to give them up; as, to retain vivacity in old age; to retain counsel in a lawsuit; to retain one's servant after a reverse of fortune. Preserve denotes that we keep a thing against agencies which might lead to its being destroyed or broken in upon; as, to preserve one's health; to preserve appearances.

KEEP
Keep, v. i.

1. To remain in any position or state; to continue; to abide; to stay; as, to keep at a distance; to keep aloft; to keep near; to keep in the house; to keep before or behind; to keep in favor; to keep out of company, or out reach.

2. To last; to endure; to remain unimpaired. If the malt be not thoroughly dried, the ale it makes will not keep. Mortimer.

3. To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell. [Now disused except locally or colloquially.] Knock at his study, where, they say, he keeps. Shak.

4. To take care; to be solicitous; to watch. [Obs.] Keep that the lusts choke not the word of God that is in us. Tyndale.

5. To be in session; as, school keeps to-day. [Colloq.] To keep from, to abstain or refrain from. — To keep in with, to keep on good terms with; as, to keep in with an opponent. — To keep on, to go forward; to proceed; to continue to advance. — To keep to, to adhere strictly to; not to neglect or deviate from; as, to keep to old customs; to keep to a rule; to keep to one's word or promise. — To keep up, to remain unsubdued; also, not to be confined to one's bed.

KEEP
Keep, n.

1. The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed; charge. Chaucer. Pan, thou god of shepherds all, Which of our tender lambkins takest keep. Spenser.