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 men's Test record for catches by a keeper in an innings is seven.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

It was outshot 20-2 for the game, and Spanish keeper Unai Simón, who gave up just one goal in eight matches, was not forced to make a save in registering his seventh clean sheet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

As head of chassis dynamics for VW AG’s superluxury brand, he is the keeper and arbiter of what a Bentley is supposed to feel like.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

Salvadoran referee Iván Barton immediately pointed to the spot and Oyarzabal stepped up and obliged, beating French keeper Mike Maignan into the side netting at the right post for his fifth goal of the tournament.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

To the tavern keeper, who had warned him, and to whom he’d given his word he’d return the gun?

From "The Fighting Ground" by Avi

Several decades ago, keepers were supposed to stand there and not move until the ball was heading toward them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

The 26-year-old has been one of the best keepers at the World Cup but had only made three senior club appearances until January 2025.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

Now he has a World Cup shutout and with another clean sheet Thursday, he’ll join Matt Turner as the only American keepers to post back-to-back shutouts in a World Cup in 96 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

If keepers delay a restart on a goal-kick, a referee can start a five-second countdown.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

“Only Ben,” said Maxim; “he’s quite harmless, poor devil. His old father used to be one of the keepers, they live near the home farm. Where did you get that piece of twine?”

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Related Words

• attendant
• caretaker
• curator
• custodian
• defender