keeper

[ kee-per ]

/ ˈki pər /

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See synonyms for: keeper / keepers on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who guards or watches, as at a prison or gate.

a person who assumes responsibility for another's behavior: He refused to be his brother's keeper.

a person who owns or operates a business (usually used in combination): a hotelkeeper.

a person who is responsible for the maintenance of something (often used in combination): a zookeeper; a groundskeeper.

a person charged with responsibility for the preservation and conservation of something valuable, as a curator or game warden.

a person who conforms to or abides by a requirement: a keeper of his word.

a fish that is of sufficient size to be caught and retained without violating the law.

Football. a play in which the quarterback retains the ball and runs with it, usually after faking a hand-off or pass.

something that serves to hold in place, retain, etc., as on a door lock.

something that lasts well, as a fruit.

guard ring.

an iron or steel bar placed across the poles of a permanent horseshoe magnet for preserving the strength of the magnet during storage.

OTHER WORDS FOR keeper

1 warden, jailer.

2 custodian, guardian.

See synonyms for keeper on Thesaurus.com

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of keeper

First recorded in 1250–1300, keeper is from the Middle English word keper.See keep, -er¹

OTHER WORDS FROM keeper

keep·er·less, adjectivekeep·er·ship, nounun·der·keep·er, noun

Words nearby keeper

keep back, keep body and soul together, keep company, keep cool, keep down, keeper, keeper hook, keeper ring, keep fit, keep from, keep house

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use keeper in a sentence

The leader of the party is not necessarily the keeper and enforcer of its entire message, but it’s a big choice.
Even Deeper in the Wilderness, San Diego Republicans Face Major Choice|Scott Lewis|November 24, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Cam Newton had a five-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper and completed 13 of 14 first-half passes for 120 yards.
The Patriots’ season isn’t fixed, but at least they avoided losing to the Jets|Mark Maske|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
Today, one of the keepers of the ephemerides is the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in California.
We Never Know Exactly Where We’re Going in Outer Space - Issue 92: Frontiers|Caleb Scharf|November 4, 2020|Nautilus
In the novel, Schweblin weaves together the stories of several keepers and dwellers around the globe, exploring factors that lead them to connect with a person in a way that feels both intimate and invasive.
Everything Our Editors Loved in August|The Editors|September 10, 2020|Outside Online

In fact, the goalkeepers have really been the stars of the tournament, with keepers like Kailen Sheridan, Jane Campbell and Britt Eckerstrom keeping pace with the USWNT’s starter, Alyssa Naeher.
At Long Last, Baseball’s (Almost) Back|Sarah Shachat|July 21, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Now, the goalkeeper is out with a memoir about his life until that point: The Keeper: A Life of Saving Goals and Achieving Them.
Tim Howard’s Wall of Intensity|William O’Connor|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This Oath Keeper was there for the protest, which had yet to materialize, and had a few friends joining him, he told me.
NYC’s Garner Protesters vs. Pro-Cop Protesters|Jacob Siegel|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rudder seems content to play the record keeper and let the philosophers sort out the sigificance.
Heartache by the Numbers and OkCupid’s Founder Has Got Yours|Will Doig|October 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The state has been trying to lay its hands on them for years,” one keeper of a 700 book-strong library told the paper.
The Lost Libraries of the Sahara‬|Nina Strochlic|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In a lot of ways, that's what My Brother's Keeper is all about, and why it's so important.
Billie Holiday, Barack Obama, and the Pain of Black Women|Joshua DuBois|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Before he could finish the sentence the Hole-keeper said snappishly, "Well, drop out again—quick!"
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
About her neck was hung a covered basket and a door-key; and Davy at once concluded that she was Sindbad's house-keeper.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
Presently the Hole-keeper stopped short and said, faintly, "It strikes me the sun is very hot here."
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
"They're great pink birds, without any feathers on 'em," replied the Hole-keeper, solemnly.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
In the wall were eight gates, and at each one a keeper was stationed at all hours of the day and night.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike

British Dictionary definitions for keeper

keeper

/ (ˈkiːpə) /

noun

a person in charge of animals, esp in a zoo

a person in charge of a museum, collection, or section of a museum

a person in charge of other people, such as a warder in a jail

See goalkeeper, wicketkeeper, gamekeeper

a person who keeps something

a device, such as a clip, for keeping something in place

a soft iron or steel bar placed across the poles of a permanent magnet to close the magnetic circuit when it is not in use

Derived forms of keeper

keeperless, adjectivekeepership, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

keeper

OTHER WORDS FOR keeper

Origin of keeper

OTHER WORDS FROM keeper

Words nearby keeper

Words related to keeper

How to use keeper in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for keeper

Derived forms of keeper