Him whom to love is to obey, and keep His great command.
Milton.
15. To confine one's self to; not to quit; to remain in; as, to keep
one's house, room, bed, etc.; hence, to haunt; to frequent. Shak.
'Tis hallowed ground; Fairies, and fawns, and satyrs do it keep.
J. Fletcher.
16. To observe duly, 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 (?), 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.