I kepe not of armes for to yelp [boast]. Chaucer.

If we lose the field,
We can not keep the town. Shak.

That I may know what keeps me here with you. Dryden.

If we would weigh and keep in our minds what we are considering, that would instruct us. Locke.

His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal. Milton.

Keep a stiff rein, and move but gently on. Addison.

* In this sense it is often used with prepositions and adverbs, as to keep away, to keep down, to keep from, to keep in, out, or off, etc. "To keep off impertinence and solicitation from his superior." Addison.

The crown of Stephanus, first king of Hungary, was always kept in the castle of Vicegrade. Knolles.

Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee. Gen. xxviii. 15.

Great are thy virtues . . . though kept from man. Milton.

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. Gen. ii. 15.

In her girlish age, she kept sheep on the moor. Carew.

Like a pedant that keeps a school. Shak.

Every one of them kept house by himself. Hayward.

I keep but three men and a boy. Shak.

Both day and night did we keep company. Shak.

Within this portal as I kept my watch. Smollett.

I have kept the faith. 2 Tim. iv. 7.

Him whom to love is to obey, and keep
His great command. Milton.

'Tis hallowed ground;
Fairies, and fawns, and satyrs do it keep. J. Fletcher.

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.

If the malt be not thoroughly dried, the ale it makes will not keep. Mortimer.

Knock at his study, where, they say, he keeps. Shak.

Keep that the lusts choke not the word of God that is in us. Tyndale.

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.

Pan, thou god of shepherds all,
Which of our tender lambkins takest keep. Spenser.

Grass equal to the keep of seven cows. Carlyle.

I performed some services to the college in return for my keep. T. Hughes.

The prison strong,
Within whose keep the captive knights were laid. Dryden.

The lower chambers of those gloomy keeps. Hallam.

I think . . . the keep, or principal part of a castle, was so called because the lord and his domestic circle kept, abode, or lived there. M. A. Lower.

Often he used of his keep
A sacrifice to bring. Spenser.

To take keep, to take care; to heed. [Obs.] Chaucer.