upkeep
[uhp-keep]
- the process or activity of providing an establishment, machine, person, etc., with necessary or proper maintenance, repairs, support, or the like: The machine's faulty operation shows that no one has attended to its upkeep.
- the total sum of the costs or expenses for this.
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Origin of upkeep
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for upkeep
Contemporary Examples
Upkeep of the island has been pricey, but Sealand has found ways to pay the bills.
For the following 70 years, de Florian paid the rent and upkeep on the home without ever returning.
Hodge also criticized the Royal Household for not maintaining the upkeep of its royal properties, including Buckingham Palace.
Readers, he once wrote, should be “as much interested in the upkeep of the papers as the managers and the editors are.”
At the same time, crucial investments have faltered, including for upkeep.
Historical Examples
What with Paliser Place, its upkeep and the rest of it, it must be a pittance.
The Paliser caseEdgar Saltus
All you have ever accepted is the laboratory you use, its upkeep, and a small annual income.
The Black Star PassesJohn W Campbell
The Master liked to talk of poetry, history, and the upkeep of courtesy.
The Sayings Of ConfuciusConfucius
In 1918 Congress made appropriations for its upkeep and development.
The Book of the National ParksRobert Sterling Yard
But it is honourable to pay taxes for the upkeep of a good community.
The Canadian Girl at WorkMarjory MacMurchy
upkeep
- the act or process of keeping something in good repair, esp over a long period; maintenance
- the cost of maintenance
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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
Word Origin and History for upkeep
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper