Forms: 3–5 kep, 3–6 kepe, (5 kype), 4–6 Sc. keip, 4–7 keepe, (9 keape), 3– keep. [f. KEEP v.]
† 1. Care, attention, heed, notice; usually in phrases to nim, take, give keep, to take or give heed, take notice. (Const. of, infin., or clause.)
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1333. Bi-aften bak, as he nam kep, faste in ðornes, he saȝ a sep.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 20128. Hir sun to serue was al hir kepe. Ibid., 20498. To þis ferli tas all nu kepe.
a. 1325. Prose Psalter lxix. [lxx.] 1. Ȝeue kepe, God, to my helpe.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), v. 51. A Man ought to take gode kepe for to bye Bawme.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 174 b. What God hath done for you ye take no keepe.
1602. Narcissus (1893), 712. I tooke good keepe, and saw thee eke shedd teares.
1647. H. More, Song of Soul, III. III. xxxvii. Who of nought else but sloth and growth doth taken keep.
[1886. A. Lang, Lett. Dead Auth., 36. As to things old, they take no keep of them.]
2. Care or heed in tending, watching or preserving; charge; orig. only in phr. † to take keep.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5729 (Gött.). Moyses þat time tok kepe To his elde fadris schepe.
c. 1440. Partonope, 289. Partanope ys now softe falle on sleepe This fayre lady of hym takyth keepe.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 640. Tak keip to my Capill, thai na man him call.
1491. Caxton, Vitas Patr. (W. de W., 1495), II. 241 a/1. Take euer a besy kepe of thy selfe.
a. 1568. Ascham, Scholem., I. (Arb.), 49. Vnder the kepe, and by the counsell, of some graue gouernour.
1586. J. Hooker, Hist. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 100/2. Your dominion in Ireland, whereof they haue so little keepe.
1647. H. More, Poems, 311. Of his precious soul he takes no keep.
1818. Keats, Endym., I. 68. If from shepherd’s keep A lamb stray’d far.
† b. That which is kept; a charge. Obs.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., July, 133. Often he vsed of hys keepe a sacrifice to bring.
3. Hist. The innermost and strongest structure or central tower of a mediæval castle, serving as a last defence; a tower; a stronghold, donjon.
Perhaps orig. a translation of It. tenazza.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia (1598), 249. He who stood as watch upon the top of the keepe.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, VI. iv. 244. The Tenaza or Keepe, which stands without the body of the Castell.
1654. Evelyn, Mem., 8 June. The Castle itself is large in circumference…. The Keep or mount, hath … a very profound well.
1796. Burke, Let. Noble Lord, Wks. VIII. 49. Like the proud Keep of Windsor rising in majesty of proportion, and girt with the double belt of its kindred and coeval towers.
1813. Scott, Trierm., I. xiii. Buttress, and rampire’s circling bound, And mighty keep and tower.
1819. W. Burgh, Notes Mason’s Eng. Gard., IV. Note L, The Gothic castle … consisted, in every instance, of the keep or strong-hold, and the court or enclosure annexed to the keep.
1877. Tennyson, Harold, II. ii. The walls oppress me, And yon huge keep that hinders half the heaven.
4. An article that serves for containing or retaining something. † a. A meat-safe. Obs. rare.
1617. Minsheu, Ductor, s.v., A Keepe is … also vsed for a safe, which is a thing to keepe the meate from the flies in Sommer season.
1649. Bury Wills (Camden), 221. A … cupbord, a keepe, two wrought chairs.
b. A stew, pond or reservoir for fish; a weir or dam for retaining water. rare.
1617. Minsheu, Ductor, s.v., A Keepe is also used … for a place made in waters to keep and preserve fish.
1847. J. Dwyer, Hydraulic Engineer., 75. The motion of water over a bar or keep, such as had been calculated for the new cut.
† c. A clasp or similar fastening. Obs.
1615. Chapman, Odyss., XVIII. 432. Buttons … made to fairly hold The robe together, all lac’d downe before, Where Keepes and Catches both sides of it wore.
d. Coal-mining. One of the set of movable iron supports on which the cage rests when at the top of the shaft: = KEP sb.
1851. Greenwell, Coal-trade Terms Northumb. & Durh., 33. The cage rising between the keeps, and forcing them back; but when drawn above the keeps, they fall forward to their places.
1867. W. W. Smyth, Coal & Coal-mining, 166. The cage is lifted … a little above the plane of the bank … and then allowed to drop on to the keeps.
e. Mech. In a locomotive engine: A part of the axle-box, fitted beneath the journal of the axle and serving to hold an oiled pad against it.
1881. Metal World, No. 15. 227. Care should be taken in boring out the axle-box keeps, as if the keeps are not bored correctly the journals … will not work true in them.
† 5. A keeper, a herd (in N. America). Obs. rare.
1641. Boston Rec. (1877), II. 60. If any goates be without a keep after the 14th day of the next moneth … the owners of them shall forfett … halfe a bushel of Corne. Ibid., 61. [They] shall agree with a Cowe keep for the towne for the present summer.
6. The act of keeping or maintaining; the fact of being kept. See KEEP v. 19–24.
1763. in F. B. Hough, Siege Detroit (1860), 191. The Safety and Protection of Schenectady depends in a great Measure on the keep of a good Guard in the Town.
1824. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. I. (1863), 64. Our old spaniel … and the blue greyhound … both of which fourfooted worthies were sent out to keep for the summer.
1847–78. Halliwell, s.v. Keep, Out at keep, said of animals in hired pastures.
b. In good keep, well kept, in good condition; so in low keep, etc.
1808. Trial Lieut. Gen. Whitelocke, I. 215. Many of them exceedingly good horses, but in low keep.
1811. Lamb, Good Clerk, Misc. Wks. (1871), 384. As the owner of a fine horse is [solicitous] to have him appear in good keep.
c. The food required to keep a person or animal; provender, pasture; maintenance, support.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, s.v., I am short of keep for my cows.
1829. Southey, Pilgr. Compostella, Poet. Wks. VII. 264. The Corporation A fund for their keep supplied.
1848. Lowell, Biglow P., Poems, 1890, II. 148. You’re so darned lazy, I don’t think you’re hardly worth your keep.
7. Phr. For keeps: to keep, for good; hence, completely, altogether. U.S. colloq.
1886. Advance, 9 Dec. (Farmer). We … promise not to play marbles for keeps, nor bet nor gamble in any way.
1897. R. Kipling, Captains Courageous, 263. I’m coming into the business for keeps next fall.
1899. H. Frederic, Market-place, 195. I’ve got something the matter with me…. I’ve got it for keeps.
8. Comb., as keep-tower = sense 3; keep-worthy a., worth keeping, worthy of being kept.
1830. W. Taylor, Hist. Surv. Germ. Poetry, I. 182. Bodmer … was the editor of the Zurich charter … and of other keep-worthy documents.
1865. G. E. Street, Goth. Archit. Spain, 187. The enormous keep-tower which rises out of its western face.
