different between discreet vs keen

discreet

English

Etymology

From Middle English discrete, from Old French discret, from Latin discr?tus, from past participle of discernere. Doublet of discrete.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /d??sk?i?t/
  • Rhymes: -i?t
  • Homophone: discrete (separable into parts)

Adjective

discreet (comparative more discreet or discreeter, superlative most discreet or discreetest)

  1. Respectful of privacy or secrecy; exercising caution in order to avoid causing embarrassment; quiet; diplomatic.
    With a discreet gesture, she reminded him to mind his manners.
    John just doesn't understand that laughing at Mary all day is not very discreet.
  2. Not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous.

Usage notes

  • Although cognate and identical in the Middle English period, the term has become distinct from discrete.

Derived terms

  • discreetly
  • discretion

Translations

Anagrams

  • desertic, discrete

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch discreet, from Old French discret, from Medieval Latin discr?tus, from discern?.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /d?s?kre?t/
  • Hyphenation: dis?creet
  • Rhymes: -e?t

Adjective

discreet (comparative discreter, superlative discreetst)

  1. discreet (with discretion)
  2. discrete (not continuous)

Inflection

Derived terms

  • discretie

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keen

English

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ki?n/
  • (General American) enPR: k?n, IPA(key): /kin/
  • Rhymes: -i?n
  • Homophones: Keane, Keene

Etymology 1

From Middle English kene (bold, brave, sharp), from Old English c?ne (keen, fierce, bold, brave, warlike, powerful; learned, clever, wise), from Proto-Germanic *k?niz (knowledgeable, skilful, experienced, clever, capable), from Proto-Indo-European *?neh?- (to know). Cognate with Danish køn (handsome, pretty), Dutch kien (smart, wise, able), koen (daring, valiant, doughty, courageous), German kühn (bold, daring, audacious, hardy, valiant, venturesome), Icelandic kænn (wise, crafty, clever, able), Scots keen (lively, brisk; avaricious). Related to Old English cunnan (to know how to, be able to). More at cunning, can.

Alternative forms

  • keene, kene (both obsolete)

Adjective

keen (comparative keener or more keen, superlative keenest or most keen)

  1. (chiefly Commonwealth of Nations) Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested.
    • 2000, Jane Green, Bookends, London: Penguin Books, ?ISBN; republished as Bookends: A Novel, trade paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Broadway Books, 2003, ?ISBN, page 304:
      In fact, she doesn't mention the fact that I've obviously been avoiding her, just sounds genuinely thrilled to hear from me, and as soon as I mention getting together she suggests Monday, which is rather keen, even for Portia.
  2. Fierce, intense, vehement.
  3. Having a fine edge or point; sharp.
  4. Acute of mind, having or expressing mental acuteness; penetrating, sharp.
  5. Acrimonious, bitter, piercing.
  6. Of cold, wind, etc.: cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp.
    • 1764 December 19 (indicated as 1765), Oliver Goldsmith, The Traveller, or a Prospect of Society. A Poem. Inscribed to the Rev. Henry Goldsmith, London: Printed for J[ohn] Newbery, ?OCLC; 3rd edition, London: Printed for J. Newbury,[sic, meaning Newbery] in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1765, ?OCLC, page 10:
      Chearful at morn he wakes from ?hort repo?e, / Brea?ts the keen air, and carolls as he goes; []
  7. (Britain) Of prices, extremely low as to be competitive.
  8. (US, informal, dated) Marvelous.
  9. (obsolete) Brave, courageous; audacious, bold.
Usage notes

Keen is often used to create compounds, the meaning of most of them being fairly obvious, for example, keen-edged, keen-eyed, keen-sighted, keen-witted, etc.

Synonyms
  • (showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness): ardent, eager, prompt
  • (having a fine edge or point): sharp
  • (acrimonious): biting, cutting, piercing
  • (acute of mind): acute, penetrating, shrewd; see also Thesaurus:intelligent
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

keen (third-person singular simple present keens, present participle keening, simple past and past participle keened)

  1. (transitive, rare) To make cold, to sharpen.
    • 1730, James Thomson, “Summer”, in The Seasons, A Hymn, A Poem to the Memory of Sir Isaac Newton, and Britannia, a Poem, London, Printed for J. Millan, near Whitehall; and A[ndrew] Millar, in the Strand, ?OCLC; republished in The Works of James Thomson. With His Last Corrections and Improvements. In Four Volumes, volume I, London: Printed for A. Millar, in the Strand, 1766, ?OCLC, page 93, lines 1256–1259:
      This is the pure?t exerci?e of health, / The kind refre?her of the ?ummer-heats; / Nor, when cold Winter keens the brightening flood, / Would I weak-?hivering linger on the brink.

Etymology 2

From Irish caoin (to cry, weep; to keen).

Noun

keen (plural keens)

  1. A prolonged wail for a deceased person.

Verb

keen (third-person singular simple present keens, present participle keening, simple past and past participle keened)

  1. (intransitive) To utter a keen.
    • 20th century, Stuart Howard-Jones (1904–1974), “Hibernia”, in Kingsley Amis, comp., The New Oxford Book of English Light Verse, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 1978, ?ISBN, page 243:
      Last night he had put down too much Potheen / (A vulgar blend of Methyl and Benzene) / That, at some Wake, he might the better keen. / (Keen—meaning 'brisk'? Nay, here the Language warps: / 'Tis singing bawdy Ballads to a Corpse.)
  2. (transitive) To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.
  3. (transitive) To mourn.
Related terms
  • keener

References


Anagrams

  • Enke, kene, knee, kène, neek

Basque

Noun

keen

  1. genitive plural of ke

Hunsrik

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /k?e?n/

Particle

keen

  1. no, not any, not a

Declension

1Form used when the plural of the noun is the same as the singular

Further reading

  • Online Hunsrik Dictionary

Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ke?n/
    • Rhymes: -e?n

Particle

keen m or n

  1. no, not any, not a

Declension


Somali

Verb

keen

  1. bring

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English kene, from Old English c?ne.

Adjective

keen

  1. sharp

References

  • Jacob Poole (1867) , William Barnes, editor, A glossary, with some pieces of verse, of the old dialect of the English colony in the baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, J. Russell Smith, ?ISBN

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