keeper

American  

[kee-per] / ˈki pər /

noun

• keepers
  plural

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

   Synonyms:

   jailer, warden

2. a person who assumes responsibility for another's behavior.

   He refused to be his brother's keeper.

   Synonyms:

   guardian, custodian

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

   a hotelkeeper.

4. a person who is responsible for the maintenance of something (often used in combination).

   a zookeeper; a groundskeeper.

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

6. a person who conforms to or abides by a requirement.

   a keeper of his word.

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

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

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

10. something that lasts well, as a fruit.

11. guard ring.

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

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keeper British  

/ ˈkiːpə /

noun

1. a person in charge of animals, esp in a zoo

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

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

4. See goalkeeper wicketkeeper gamekeeper

5. a person who keeps something

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

7. 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• keepership
  noun
• underkeeper
  noun
• keeperless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• keepers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of keeper

First recorded in 1250–1300, keeper is from the Middle English word keper. See keep, -er ¹

Explanation

A keeper is someone who is responsible for something, especially a property or a lot of animals. A keeper might take care of a big summer house during the winter months. You can use keeper to mean "caretaker," someone whose job involves maintaining a house, farm, estate, or grounds. The keeper of a golf course might, for example, keep the greens tidy and groomed. It's also shorthand for zookeeper, or a person who cares for the animals in a zoo. Since about 1300, keeper has meant "one who has charge of some person or thing." It comes from keep and its Old English root cepan, "seize or hold."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

keeper keepers

The Belgian keeper, who is 6ft 7in, has started all four of Genk's games this season and has represented his country at youth level.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

Cherki took Phil Foden's pass on the edge of the area, embarking on a slalom run surrounded by four Palace defenders, leaving them helpless before poking a left-foot finish past keeper Dean Henderson.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

As a longtime keeper of the flame for cinema, what does this moment feel like to you?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Abbas did the damage to the top order, with Root once again lbw with the keeper up to the stumps.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

He was a keeper of bees, the son of Apollo and a water nymph, Cyrene.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Although the zoo houses more than 14,000 animals, the keepers will only have time to measure and log the weight of about 400 creatures.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

But finding the jury, and the jury keepers watching them, somewhere to sleep became something of a logistical nightmare.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

If a team press immediately, Liverpool have been willing to skip short build-up play and go long from keepers Alisson or Giorgi Mamardashvili early.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Amy Waller, team manager of the safari at Longleat, said keepers were giving Yana extra food to ensure she has enough energy to provide for the "chunky little cubs".

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Aside from his keepers, Davos Seaworth had the Wolf’s Den to himself.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• attendant
• caretaker
• curator
• custodian
• defender