different between defence vs keep

English

Alternative forms

• defense (American)

Etymology

From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Latin d?fensa (“protection”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d??f?ns/
• Rhymes: -?ns

Noun

defence (countable and uncountable, plural defences) (British spelling)

1. The action of defending, of protecting from attack, danger or injury.
   • c. 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act II, Scene 4,^[1]

     In cases of defence ’tis best to weigh

     The enemy more mighty than he seems:

2. Something used to oppose attacks.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 12,^[2]

     And nothing ’gainst Time’s scythe can make defence

     Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.

3. An argument in support or justification of something.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 89,^[3]

     Speak of my lameness, and I straight will halt,

     Against thy reasons making no defence.
4. (team sports) A strategy and tactics employed to prevent the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
5. (team sports) The portion of a team dedicated to preventing the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
6. Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military.

7. (obsolete) Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance.
   • 1673, William Temple, “An Essay upon the Advancement of Trade in Ireland” in Miscellanea, London: Edw[ard] Gellibrand, 1680, p. 116,^[5]

     […] severe defences may be made against weaving any Linnen under a certain breadth, such as may be of better use to the poorest People […]

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:defence

Antonyms

• offence (Commonwealth), offense (US)

Usage notes

The noun spelling is mainly used in the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand, defense is more commonly used in America.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

defence (third-person singular simple present defences, present participle defencing, simple past and past participle defenced)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To furnish with defences; to fortify.
   • 1656, John Hales, Dixi Custodiam

     Better manned and more strongly defenced.

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: k?p, IPA^(key): /ki?p/
• Rhymes: -i?p

Etymology

From Middle English kepen (“to keep, guard, look after, watch”), from Old English c?pan (“to seize, hold, observe”), from Proto-Germanic *k?pijan? (compare West Frisian kypje (“to look”)), from Proto-Indo-European *?ab-, *??b- (“to look after”) (compare Lithuanian ž?bti (“to eat reluctantly”), Russian ??????? (zabóta, “care, worry”)).

Verb

keep (third-person singular simple present keeps, present participle keeping, simple past and past participle kept)

1. To continue in (a course or mode of action); not to intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain.
   • c. 1599, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act V, Scene 1,^[1]

     Both day and night did we keep company.

   • c. 1749, Tobias Smollett, The Regicide, Act V, Scene 5, in Plays and Poems Written by T. Smollett, M.D., London: T. Evans and R. Baldwin, 1777, p. 106,^[2]

     Within the portal as I kept my watch,

2. (heading, transitive) To hold the status of something.
   1. To maintain possession of.

   2. (ditransitive) To maintain the condition of; to preserve in a certain state.
   3. (transitive) To record transactions, accounts, or events in.

   4. (transitive) To enter (accounts, records, etc.) in a book.
   5. (archaic) To remain in, to be confined to.
      • 1605, William Shakespeare, King Lear, III.ii,

        The wrathful skies / Gallow the very wanderers of the dark / And make them keep their caves.

      • 1789, John Moore, Zeluco, Valancourt 2008, p. 71:

        The following day she was so ill that she kept her bed; the husband went not once to enquire for her, nor did he send any message: he also kept his apartment, and was heard walking backwards and forwards with a hurried pace the whole of that day.
   6. To restrain.

   7. (with from) To watch over, look after, guard, protect.
      • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.viii:

        cursse on thy cruell hond, / That twise hath sped; yet shall it not thee keepe / From the third brunt of this my fatall brond […].

   8. To supply with necessities and financially support a person.

   9. (of living things) To raise; to care for.
      • 1914, Robert Joos, Success with Hens, Forbes & company, p.217:

        Of course boys are boys and need watching, but there is little watching necessary when they keep chickens.
   10. To maintain (an establishment or institution); to conduct; to manage.
       • c. 1599, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act III, Scene 2,^[4]

         like a pedant that keeps a school

       • 1630, John Hayward, The Life, and Raigne of King Edward the Sixt, London: John Partridge, p. 114,^[5]

         They were honourably accompanied and with great estate brought to London, where euery of them kept house by himselfe.

       • At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors. […] In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.

   11. To have habitually in stock for sale.
3. (heading, intransitive) To hold or be held in a state.
   1. (obsolete) To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell.
      • c. 1593, William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus, Act V, Scene 2,^[6]

        Knock at his study, where, they say, he keeps,

        To ruminate strange plots of dire revenge;

   2. To continue.
   3. To remain edible or otherwise usable.
      • 1707, John Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry

        If the malt be not thoroughly dried, the ale it makes will not keep.

   4. (copulative) To remain in a state.

4. (obsolete) To wait for, keep watch for.
5. (intransitive, cricket) To act as wicket-keeper.

6. (intransitive, obsolete) To take care; to be solicitous; to watch.
   • c. 1530, William Tyndale, A Pathway into the holy Scripture in The Whole Workes of W. Tyndall, Iohn Frith, and Doct. Barnes, London: John Day, 1573, p. 384,^[7]

     […] kepe that the lustes choke not the word of God that is sowen in vs,

7. (intransitive, obsolete) To be in session; to take place.

8. (transitive) To observe; to adhere to; to fulfill; not to swerve from or violate.
   • 1611, King James Version of the Bible, 2 Timothy 4.7,^[8]

     I have kept the faith:

   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, London, Book 7, lines 1271-1272,^[9]

     Be strong, live happie, and love, but first of all

     Him whom to love is to obey, and keep

     His great command;

9. (transitive, dated, by extension) To visit (a place) often; to frequent.
   • c. 1608, John Fletcher, The Faithful Shepherdess, Act III, Scene 1,^[10]

     […] ’tis hallowed ground;

     No Maid seeks here her strayed Cow, or Sheep,

     Fairies, and fawns, and satyrs do it keep:

10. (transitive, dated) To observe or celebrate (a holiday).

Synonyms

• (maintain possession of): retain
• (maintain the condition of): preserve, protect
• (to reside for a time): See also Thesaurus:sojourn

Derived terms

Pages starting with “keep”.

Related terms

• for keeps

Translations

Noun

keep (countable and uncountable, plural keeps)

1. (historical) The main tower of a castle or fortress, located within the castle walls.

   Synonym: donjon

2. The food or money required to keep someone alive and healthy; one's support, maintenance.

3. (obsolete) The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed; charge; notice.

4. The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition; case.

5. (obsolete) That which is kept in charge; a charge.

6. (engineering) A cap for holding something, such as a journal box, in place.

Derived terms

• earn one's keep

Translations

See also

• donjon

Anagrams

• Ekpe, PEEK, Peek, Peke, kepe, peek, peke

Dutch

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ke?p/
• Hyphenation: keep
• Rhymes: -e?p
• Homophone: cape

Noun

keep f (plural kepen, diminutive keepje n)

1. notch, carven mark

   Synonyms: inkeping, kerf

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “cf. West Frisian "keepfink", prob. a borrowing”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ke?p/
• Hyphenation: keep
• Rhymes: -e?p
• Homophone: cape

Noun

keep m (plural kepen, diminutive keepje n)

1. brambling, Fringilla montifringilla

Etymology 3

Shortening of keeper.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kip/
• Hyphenation: keep
• Rhymes: -ip
• Homophone: kiep

Noun

keep m (plural keeps)

1. (ball games, chiefly soccer, colloquial) goalkeeper

Estonian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

keep (genitive keebi, partitive keepi)

1. cloak, capote, gaberdine

Declension

Middle English

Noun

keep

1. notice; note; observance

   take keep — “take note”

   • And shame it is, if a preest take keep

     A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep

Yucatec Maya

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ke?p?/

Noun

keep (plural keepo?ob)

1. (anatomy) penis

Synonyms

• toon