| Words | Parts of Speech | Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
|---|---|---|
| keck | verb i. | To heave or to retch, as in an effort to vomit., An effort to vomit; queasiness. |
| keel | verb t. & i. | To cool; to skim or stir., A brewer’s cooling vat; a keelfat., A longitudinal timber, or series of timbers scarfed together, extending from stem to stern along the bottom of a vessel. It is the principal timber of the vessel, and, by means of the ribs attached on each side, supports the vessel’s frame. In an iron vessel, a combination of plates supplies the place of the keel of a wooden ship. See Illust. of Keelson., Fig.: The whole ship., A barge or lighter, used on the Type for carrying coal from Newcastle; also, a barge load of coal, twenty-one tons, four cwt., The two lowest petals of the corolla of a papilionaceous flower, united and inclosing the stamens and pistil; a carina. See Carina., A projecting ridge along the middle of a flat or curved surface., To traverse with a keel; to navigate., To turn up the keel; to show the bottom. |
| keen | superl. | Sharp; having a fine edge or point; as, a keen razor, or a razor with a keen edge., Acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness; as, a man of keen understanding; a keen look; keen features., Bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm., Piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; — applied to cold, wind, etc, ; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen., Eager; vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite., To sharpen; to make cold., A prolonged wail for a deceased person. Cf. Coranach., To wail as a keener does. |
| kept | imp. & past participle | of Keep, of Keep. |
| keep | verb t. | To care; to desire., To hold; to restrain from departure or removal; not to let go of; to retain in one’s power or possession; not to lose; to retain; to detain., To cause to remain in a given situation or condition; to maintain unchanged; to hold or preserve in any state or tenor., To have in custody; to have in some place for preservation; to take charge of., To preserve from danger, harm, or loss; to guard., To preserve from discovery or publicity; not to communicate, reveal, or betray, as a secret., To attend upon; to have the care of; to tend., To record transactions, accounts, or events in; as, to keep books, a journal, etc. ; also, to enter (as accounts, records, etc. ) in a book., To maintain, as an establishment, institution, or the like; to conduct; to manage; as, to keep store., To supply with necessaries of life; to entertain; as, to keep boarders., To have in one’s service; to have and maintain, as an assistant, a servant, a mistress, a horse, etc., To have habitually in stock for sale., To continue in, as a course or mode of action; not to intermit or fall from; to hold to; to maintain; as, to keep silence; to keep one’s word; to keep possession., To observe; to adhere to; to fulfill; not to swerve from or violate; to practice or perform, as duty; not to neglect; to be faithful to., To confine one’s self to; not to quit; to remain in; as, to keep one’s house, room, bed, etc. ; hence, to haunt; to frequent., To observe duty, as a festival, etc. ; to celebrate; to solemnize; as, to keep a feast., To remain in any position or state; to continue; to abide; to stay; as, to keep at a distance; to keep aloft; to keep near; to keep in the house; to keep before or behind; to keep in favor; to keep out of company, or out reach., To last; to endure; to remain unimpaired., To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell., To take care; to be solicitous; to watch., To be in session; as, school keeps to-day., The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed; charge., The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition; case; as, to be in good keep., The means or provisions by which one is kept; maintenance; support; as, the keep of a horse., That which keeps or protects; a stronghold; a fortress; a castle; specifically, the strongest and securest part of a castle, often used as a place of residence by the lord of the castle, especially during a siege; the donjon. See Illust. of Castle., That which is kept in charge; a charge., A cap for retaining anything, as a journal box, in place. |
| keir | noun | See Kier. |
| keld | adjective | Having a kell or covering; webbed. |
| kele | verb t. | To cool. |
| kell | noun | A kiln., A sort of pottage; kale. See Kale, 2., The caul; that which covers or envelops as a caul; a net; a fold; a film., The cocoon or chrysalis of an insect. |
| kelp | noun | The calcined ashes of seaweed, — formerly much used in the manufacture of glass, now used in the manufacture of iodine., Any large blackish seaweed. |
| kelt | noun | See Kilt, n., Cloth with the nap, generally of native black wool., A salmon after spawning., Same as Celt, one of Celtic race. |
| kemb | verb t. | To comb. |
| kemp | noun | Alt. of Kempty |
| keno | noun | A gambling game, a variety of the game of lotto, played with balls or knobs, numbered, and cards also numbered. |
| kerb | noun | See Curb. |
| kerf | noun | A notch, channel, or slit made in any material by cutting or sawing. |
| kerl | noun | See Carl. |
| kern | noun | A light-armed foot soldier of the ancient militia of Ireland and Scotland; — distinguished from gallowglass, and often used as a term of contempt., Any kind of boor or low-lived person., An idler; a vagabond., A part of the face of a type which projects beyond the body, or shank., To form with a kern. See 2d Kern., A churn., A hand mill. See Quern., To harden, as corn in ripening., To take the form of kernels; to granulate. |
| kers | noun | Alt. of Kerse |
| kess | verb t. | To kiss. |
| kest | imp. | of Cast. |