Volume 1
A dictionary of the English language: in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers. To which are prefixed, a history of the language, and an English grammar / by Samuel Johnson.
- Samuel Johnson
- Date:
- 1755
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A dictionary of the English language: in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers. To which are prefixed, a history of the language, and an English grammar / by Samuel Johnson. Source: Wellcome Collection.
1156/1176
![<$• Acrimonious; bitter of mind. Good father cardinal, cry thou, amen, To my keen curfes. Sbakefp. King John. I have known fome of thefe abfent officers as keen againft Ireland, as if they had never been indebted to her. Swift. To Keen. v. a. [from the adje&ive.J To fliarpen. An un- authorifed word. Nor when cold Winter keens the brightening flood, Wou’d I weak fhivering linger on the brink. Tbcmfon. Ke'enly. adj. [from keen.] Sharply; vehemently; eagerly; bitterly. Ke'enness. n.f. [from keen.] I. Sharpnefs ; edge. No, not the hangman’s ax beats half the keennefs Of thy fharp envy. Sbakefp. Merchant of Venice. 1. Rigor of weather; piercing cold. 3. Afperity; bitternefs of mind. That they might keep up the kcennefs againft the court, till the coming together of both houfes, his lordfhip furnifhed them with informations, which might be wrefted to ths king’s difadvantage. Clarendon, The fling of every reproachful fpeech is the truth of it; and to be confcious is that which gives an edge, and kcennefs to the inventive. South’s Sermons. 4. Eagernefs; vehemence. To Keep. v.a. [cepan, Saxon; kepen, old Dutch.] I. To retain; not to lofe. I kept the field with the death of fome, and flight of others. Sidney, b. ii. We have examples in the primitive church of fuch as by fear being compelled to facrifice to flrange gods repented, and kept flill the office of preaching the gofpel. JVhitgift. Keep in memory what I preached unto you. 1 Cor. xv. 2. This charge I keep till my appointed day Of rend’ring up. Milton. His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal. Milton. You have loft a child ; but you have kept one child, and are likely to do fo long. Temples Mifel. If we would weigh, and keep in our minds, what we are confidering, that would inftrudt us when we fhould, or fhould not, branch into diftindlions. Locke. 1. To have in cuftody. The crown of Stephanus, firft king of Hungary, was al¬ ways kept in the caftle of Vicegrade. Knolles. She kept the fatal key. Miltorf. 3. To preferve ; not to let go. Thefe men of war that could keep rank, came with a per¬ fect heart to Hebron. 1 Cbron. xii. 38. The Lord God merciful and gracious, keeping mercy for thoufands, forgiving iniquity. Exod. xxxiv. 7. I fpared it greatly, and have kept me a grape of the duller, and a plant of a great people. 2 Efdr. ix. 21. 4. To preferve in a ftate of fecurity. We puffed by where the duke keeps his gallies. Addifon. 5. Toprotedl; to guard. Behold I am with thee to keep thee. Gen. xxviii. 6. To guard from flight. Paul dwelt with a fold.ier that kept him. Adis xxviii. 16. 7. To detain. But what’s the caufe that keeps you here with me ? —That I may know what keeps me here with you. Dry den. 8. To hold for another. A man delivers money or fluff to keep. Exod. xxii. 7. Referv’d from night, and kept for thee in ftore. Milton. 9. To referve ; to conceal. Some are fo clofe and referved, as they will not fhew their wares but by a dark light; and feem always to keep back fomewhat. Bacon’s EJfays, N°. 27. 10. To tend. God put him in the garden of Eden to keep it. Gen. ii. 15. While in her girlifh age fhe kept fheep on the moor, it chanced that a merchant faw and liked her. Carew. Count it thine To till and keep, and of the fruit to eat. Milton. 11. To preferve in the fame tenour or ftate. To know the true ftate, I will keep this order. Bacon. Take this at leaft, this laft advice my fon, . Keep a fliff rein, and move but gently on : The courfers of themfelves will run too fall. Your art mud be to moderate their hafle. Addifon's Ovid. 12. To regard ; to attend. While the ftars and courfe of heav’n I keep. My weary’d eyes were feiz’d with fatal flcep. Dry den. If that idea be fleadily kept to, the diffusion will eafily be conceived. Locke.4 13. To not fuffer to fail. My mercy will I keep for him for ever. Pfal. Ixxxix. Shall truth fail to keep her word ? Alilton. 14. To hold in any ftate. Ingenuous fharne, and the apprehcafions of difpleafurc, are the only true reftraints: thefe alone ought to hold the reins, and keep the child in order. Locke on Education. Men are guilty of many faults in the exercife of this fa¬ culty of the mind, which keep them in ignorance. Locke. Happy fouls! vehoLccp fuch a facred dominion over their inferior and animal powers, that the fenfitive tumults never rife to difturb the fuperior and better operations of the rea- foning mind. Watts’s Improvement of the Mind. 15. To retain by fome degree of force in any place or ftate. Plexirtus, faid he, this wickednefs is found by thee; no good deeds of mine have been able to keep it down in thee. Sidney, b. ii. It is hardly to be thought that any governor fhould lb much malign his fucceffor, as to fuffer an evil to grow up whicli he might timely have kept under; or perhaps nourifh it with coloured countenance of fuch finifter means. Spenfer. What old acquaintance ! could not all this flefh Eeep in a little life ? 1 cor jfeck, farewel. Sbakefpeare. Venus took the guard of noble Hedtor’s corfe, And kept the dogs off: night and day applying fovereimi force Of rofy balms, that to the dogs were horrible in taftd. . Chapman’s Iliad. The Chinefe fail where they will; which fheweth that their law of keeping out ftrangers is a Jaw of pufftlanimity and fear- Bacon's Knv Atlantis. And thofe that cannot live from him afunder, Ungratefully fhall ftrive to keep him under. Alilton. It any afk me what wou’d fatisfy, To make life eafy, thus I would reply r As much as keeps out hunger, thirft, and cold. Dryden. Matters, recommended by our paffions, take poffeffion of our minds, and will not be kept out. Locke. Prohibited commodities fhould be kept out, and ufelefs ones impoverifh us by being brought in. Locke. An officer with one of thefe unbecoming qualities, is look¬ ed upon as a proper perfon to keep off impertinence and feli¬ citation from his fuperior. Addifon’s Spectator. And if two boots keep out the weather. What need you have two hides of leather. Prior. We have it in our power to keep in our breaths, and to fufpend the efficacy of this natural function. Cheyne. 16. To continue any ftate or adtion. The houfe of Ahaziah had no power to keep flill the kino-- ^om' 2 Cbron. xxii. 9. Men gave ear, waited, and kept filence at my counfel. Job xxix. 2r. Auria made no flay, but flill kept on his courfe, and with a fair gale came directly towards Carone. Knolles. It was then fuch a calm, that the fhips were not able to keep way with the gallies. Knolles’s Hijl. of the Turks. The moon that diftance keeps till night. Milton. An heap of ants on a hillock will more eafily be kept to an uniformity in motion than thefe. Glanville'sSeep. He dy’d in fight: Fought next my perfon; as in confert fought; Kept pace for pace, and blow for blow. Dryden. He, being come to the eftate, keeps on a very bufy fami¬ ly ; the markets are weekly frequented, and the commodi¬ ties of his farm carried out and fold. Locke. Invading foes, without refiftance, With eafe I make to keep their diftance. Swift. 17. To preferve in any ftate. My fon, keep the flower of thine age found. Eccluf. xxvi. 18. To pradlife; to ufe habitually. Mule the family very ill, and keep bad hours. Pope. 19. To copy carefully. Her fervants eyes were fix’d upon her face, And as fhe mov’d or turn’d, her motions view’d, Her meafures kept, and llep by flep purfu’d. Dryden. 20. To obferve any time. This fhall be for a memorial; and you fhall keep it a feaft to the Lord. Exod. xii. 14. That day was not in filence holy kept. Milton. 21. To obferve; not to violate. It cannot be, The king fhould keep his word in loving us ; He will fufpedl us flill, and find a time To punifh this offence in other faults. Sbakefpeare. Sworn for three years term to live with me. My fellow fcholars; and to keep thofe ftatutes That are recorded in this fchedule here. Sbakefpeare. Lord God, there is none like thee; who keepejt covenant and mercy with thy fervants. 1 Kings viib 23. Lord God of Ifrael, keep with thy fexvant that thou pro- mifedft him. 1 Kings viii. 25. Obey and keep his great command. Alilton. His promife Palamon accepts; but pray’d To keep it better than the firft he made. Dryden. My debtors do not keep their day, Deny their hands and then refufc to pay. Dryden's Juv. 2 .. ' My](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30451541_0001_1157.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
