keeper

noun

keep·​er ˈkē-pər How to pronounce keeper (audio)
1
: one that keeps: such as
a
c
: warden
d
e
chiefly British : curator
2
: any of various devices for keeping something in position
3
a
: one suitable for or worth keeping: such as
(1)
: a fruit or vegetable that keeps well
(2)
: a fish large enough to be legally caught and kept
(3)
: one having genuine or lasting merit
their new album is a keeper
b
: a domestic animal considered with respect to how easy it is to care for
an easy keeper
4
5
: an offensive football play in which the quarterback runs with the ball

Examples of keeper in a Sentence

Hold on to that boyfriend of yours—he's a keeper! how should I know where she is? I'm not her keeper
Recent Examples on the Web D’Onta Foreman had a 38-yard run on the second play of the drive, and Sam Darnold scored on an option keeper. Dave Birkett, USA TODAY, 25 Dec. 2022 Egan’s 1-yard touchdown run on a fourth-down keeper pulled the Chargers within 28-26 with 4:57 left in the third quarter. Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 26 Nov. 2022 Harris scrambled for touchdowns of 63 and 16 yards and added a 15-yard scoring rush on an option keeper, matching his career best with three touchdowns on the ground. Greg Luca, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Nov. 2022 The hosts needed only three plays to cover 28 yards with Ragle covering the last 17 on an option keeper. Dallas News, 11 Nov. 2022 In its best form, then, a nation’s archive is much more than a keeper of its records and memories. Hallel Yadin, Longreads, 24 Mar. 2022 The Lynchburg-Clay defense lived up to its stats, doing well to often clear the ball while its keeper made several challenging saves. James Weber, The Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2022 During the loss to Lincoln, the Generals gave up an own goal and Tjuanakis said the second goal should have been saved by their freshman keeper. oregonlive, 1 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'keeper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of keeper was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near keeper

Cite this Entry

“Keeper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keeper. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

keeper

noun
keep·​er ˈkē-pər How to pronounce keeper (audio)
: one that keeps
they are keepers of their word
especially : a person who watches, guards, or takes care of something or someone
the keeper of a shop

Legal Definition

keeper

noun
keep·​er
: one that takes care of and often is legally responsible for something
a dog's keeper
a keeper of the property

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