Emily Dickinson Lexicon

keep (-ing, -s, kept), v. [OE cépan.] (webplay: approach, accompany, behind, betray, bosom, care, ceasing, company, conquered, continue, country, crown, danger, depart, desire, different, dungeon, eyes, face, fall, field, garden, God, goods, guard, have, heart, heaven, hinder, holds, hours, house, income, joy, keep house, king, know, lose, last, measures, memory, mind, moved, near, nothing, order, pace, perish, practice, presumptuous, school, security, servant's, silence, sins, solemnize, state, step, strictly, supply, talking, tell, term, time, town, turned, viewed, While the stars and course of heaven keep, winter's, wise).

1. Not reveal; not disclose; not betray; maintain in confidence; confine to one's own knowledge only.
2. Endure; remain in; stay in; be confined to.
3. Celebrate; solemnize; observe; set apart time for.
4. Possess; retain in one's power.
5. Fulfill; perform; satisfy; accomplish.
6. Attend; fulfill a commitment for.
7. Maintain; preserve; retain; continue with.
8. Maintain; clean; put in proper order.
9. Hold; contain; set in place.
10. Incarcerate; hold captive.
11. Guard; watch over; take care of; have charge over.
12. Phrase. “Keep away”: prevent; save from; protect from; guard against; [fig.] distract from being conscious of.
13. Phrase. “Keep house”: stay at home; maintain a family state.