[f. KEEP v. + -ER1.] One who or that which keeps.
I. From trans. senses of the vb.
1. One who has charge, care or oversight of any person or thing; a guardian, warden, custodian.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1096. Quen was i keper of þi child.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 15812. Ne God wil namore þat þey be Keperes of þat dignete.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xii. (Mathias), 137. He hyme mad hale kepare of al þe thinge, þat he had in-to gowernynge.
1382. Wyclif, Gen. iv. 9. I wote neuere; whether am I the keper of my brother? [Coverd. I knowe not: Am I my brothers keper?]. Ibid., Acts xvi. 27. The kepere of the prisoun … seynge the ȝatis of the prisoun openyd … wolde sle hym silf. Ibid. (1388), Gen. iv. 2. Abel was a kepere of scheep, and Cayn was an erthe tilyere.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxiv. 110. [Þai] ware made hirdmen and kepers of bestez.
1509–10. Act 1 Hen. VIII., c. 17 § 1. The Keper of the said great Warderobe for the tyme beyng.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, viii. 19. Gerarde … demandyd … whether he was kepar of that passage or not.
1570. Satir. Poems Reform., xviii. 37. He was keipar of ȝour commoun weill.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, III. § 65. 304. The Church … is a faithful keeper and preserver of the Oracles of God.
1693. Dryden, Juvenal, vi. (1697), 140. Keep close your Women, under Lock and Key: But, who shall keep those Keepers?
1718. Prior, Knowledge, 203. Untam’d and fierce the tiger … seeks his keeper’s flesh.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., III. xiv. The herds without a keeper strayed.
b. Forming the second element in many compounds; as alphabet-keeper, ass-keeper, beast-keeper, book-keeper, bridge-keeper, cash-keeper, chapel-keeper, cow-keeper, deer-keeper, dog-keeper, door-keeper, gamekeeper, gate-keeper, goal-keeper, green-keeper, hound-keeper, housekeeper, etc., of which those of permanent standing will be found in their alphabetical places.
c. 1440. [see HOUSEKEEPER].
1535. [see DOOR-KEEPER].
1555. [see BOOK-KEEPER].
1670. [see GAMEKEEPER].
1707. J. Chamberlayne, Pres. St. Gt. Brit., III. 679. Officers of the Foreign [Post] Office … Mr. James Lawrence, Alphabet-keeper, 100l.
1766. Entick, London, IV. 295. In the foreign office, there is also a comptroller, and an alphabet keeper.
1897. Outing (U.S.), XXIX. 440/2. The old hound-keeper declared that [the bitch] would never come back.
1900. Daily News, 3 July, 7/5. One piece fell beside the register-keeper.
1900. Westm. Gaz., 14 July, 2/3. The street chapel-keeper also wished to desert his post.
c. Special uses:
Keeper of the Exchange and Mint: the Master of the Mint, an office held since 1870 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Keeper of the Great († Broad) Seal: an officer in England and Scotland who has the custody of the Great Seal; in England the office is now held by the Lord High Chancellor. Keeper of the Privy Seal: (a) in England an officer through whose hands pass charters, etc., before coming to the Great Seal, now called Lord Privy Seal; (b) a similar officer in Scotland and the Duchy of Cornwall. † Keeper of the Touch: see quot. 1607.
1423. Rolls Parlt., IV. 257/1. If … the … Keper of the touche afore seid touche ony such Hernois wyth the Liberdisheed. Ibid. (1454), V. 256/2. The Chaunceller of Englond, and the Keper of the prive Seale. Ibid. (1467–8), V. 634/1. Hugh Bryce of London, Goldsmyth, keper of the Kyngs eschaunge in London.
1477. Act 17 Edw. IV., c. 5. Such and as many keepers of the same Seals, as he shall think necessary.
1562–3. Act 5 Eliz., c. 18 (title), An Acte declaring thauctoritee of the L. Keeper of the Great Seale of England and the L. Chancellor to bee one.
1607. Cowell, Interpr., Keeper of the priuy Seale … seemeth to be called Clerke of the priuy Seale. Ibid., Keeper of the Touch, anno 2 H. 6. cap. 14. seemth to be that officer in the kings mint which at this day is termed the master of the assay.
1688. Col. Rec. Pennsylv., I. 230. Thomas Lloyd Keeper of ye Broad Seal.
1863. H. Cox, Instit., I. vii. 92. The Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper is … Prolocutor or Speaker of the House of Lords.
d. An officer who has the charge of a forest, woods or grounds; now esp. = GAMEKEEPER.
1488–9. Act 4 Hen. VII., c. 6. Stiwards Foresters and other kepers within the Kynges Forest of Ingilwode.
a. 1530. Heywood, Weather (Brandl, 1898), 413. Rangers and kepers of certayne places, As forestes, parkes, purlewes and chasys.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., II. v. 883. I causd the Keeper to seuer the rascall Deere from the Buckes of the first head.
1648. Bury Wills (Camden), 218. To George Betts, my keeper, five pounds.
1763. Brit. Mag., IV. 108/2. Duke of Kingston, keeper of Sherwood Forest.
1863. Kingsley, Water-Bab., i. (1889), 16. He did not know that a keeper is only a poacher turned outside in, and a poacher is a keeper turned inside out.
† e. A nurse; one who has charge of the sick.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 3624. Walstede, he sais, entir with me, For my kepar sall’ þou be.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, II. 366. Quhen Wallace was ralesched off his payne … His trew kepar he send to Elrisle.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1376/1. In some great extremitie of sicknesse … some honest ancient woman a keeper, may watch with anie of them.
1651. Wittie, trans. Primrose’s Pop. Err., III. iv. 144. Such as bee sick of feavers, for whom principally keepers are provided.
2. One who observes or keeps a command, law, promise, etc.
1382. Wyclif, Ezek. xliv. 8. Ȝe han putte keepers of myn obseruances in my sayntuarie to ȝour self.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 54. He calleth the kepers of the commaundementes his frendes.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Boldness (Arb.), 519. For Boldnesse is an ill keeper of promise.
a. 1796. Burns, Verses to Rankine, i. I am a keeper of the law In some sma’ points, altho’ not a’.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 428. And from being a keeper of the law he is converted into a breaker of it?
3. One who owns or carries on some establishment or business.
Often the second element in combs. as alehouse-, hotel-, lodging-house keeper; INNKEEPER, SHOPKEEPER.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 272/1. Kepare of an howse, or an howse holdare, paterfamilias.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 2 § 5. To take suertie of the kepers of ale houses of their gode behavyng.
1713. Lond. Gaz., No. 5141/4. Isaac Beckett … Alehouse-keeper.
1851. Hawthorne, Ho. Sev. Gables, iii. 39. A forlorn old maid, and keeper of a cent-shop.
1870. W. M. Baker, New Timothy, xv. 167. Nothing but a weakly, aged keeper of a little shoe-store in a village.
† 4. One who keeps a mistress. Obs.
1676. Etheredge, Man of Mode, I. i. An old doting keeper cannot be more jealous of his mistress.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 461, ¶ 11. A Man may be a very fine Gentleman, tho’ he is neither a Keeper por an Infidel.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), IV. 151. The risk of a keeper, who takes up with a low-bred girl.
5. One who or that which keeps or retains, in various senses of the vb. Also keeper-back.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. V., 81. There is no lesse praise to be geven to the keper then to the getter.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., II. ii. 70. He is a Flatterer, A Parasite, a keeper backe of death.
a. 1617. Hieron, Wks. (1620), II. 457. Keepers from Gods ministers, that which they ought to haue.
a. 1859. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xxiii. V. 105. The best keeper of secrets in Europe.
6. a. Any mechanical device for keeping something in its place; a clasp, catch, etc. spec. (a) a loop securing the end of a buckled strap; (b) the mousing of a hook; (c) a jam-nut or check-nut; (d) the gripper in a flint-lock, securing the flint; (e) the box into which the bolt of a lock projects when shot. (Knight, Dict. Mech., 1875.)
1575. Laneham, Lett. (1871), 37. A narro gorget, fastened afore with a white clasp and a keepar close vp to the chin.
1625. Naworth Househ. Bks. (Surtees), 214. Tape, claspes and keepers.
1667. Vestry Bks. (Surtees), 336. To Tho. Cooper for makeing a keeper for Mr Lambton’s pew dore, 2d.
1778. Eng. Gazetteer (ed. 2), s.v. Higham, Great catch-hooks and keepers of silver.
1867. J. Hogg, Microsc., I. ii. 84. A gilt iron bar, ledge, or keeper, serves for an object-rest.
1888. Sci. American, LVIII. 408/1. A glove fastener has been patented…. It has a cylindrical keeper with one lower edge struck up to form a lip. Ibid. A keeper with a slot in its upper surface adapted to receive the latch and tongue [of a glove fastener].
b. A bar of soft iron placed across the poles of a horse-shoe magnet to prevent loss of power; an armature.
Also, one of the lateral projections attached to the poles of an electro-magnet to bring these into close proximity to the revolving armature; a shoe (Knight, Dict. Mech., Suppl. 1884).
1837. Brewster, Magnet., 312. The weight was carefully removed, so as not to displace the armature or keeper.
c. 1860. Faraday, Forces Nat. (1874), 133.
1868. Lockyer, Elem. Astron., § 533. A pricker attached to the keeper of an electro magnet.
c. A ring that keeps another (esp. the wedding-ring) on the finger; a guard-ring.
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, I. 447/2 (Hoppe). A gold ring, a silver ring, and a chased keeper.
1858. Ann. Register, 7. 150 wedding rings and keepers.
1894. Hall Caine, Manxman, IV. xiv. 253. She opened a drawer and hurried everything into it—the money, the earrings, the keeper off her finger, and then she paused at the touch of the wedding-ring.
II. From intr. senses of the verb.
7. One who continues or remains at a place.
1611. Bible, Titus ii. 5. To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home.
8. A fruit, or other product, that keeps (well or ill).
1843. Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., IV. II. 389. An excellent apple, and good keeper.
1892. Garden, 27 Aug., 178. The best Apple … splendid keeper, will last until May.
1892. Seed Catalogue, Royal Ash-leaf kidney [potato], heavy cropper and good keeper.
Hence Keepering, the work of a gamekeeper.
1892. J. Wilkins, Autobiog. Gamekeeper, I. i. 13. It made me take a liking for keepering.
