What does "keeper" mean?
One who keeps (retains) something.
Keeper
/ˈkiːpə/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who keeps (retains) something.
- Grammar: keeper is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: custodian, accountant, air warden, attendant.
- Useful contrasts: destroyer, dismantler, intruder.
- Usage evidence: He told the bookstore keeper that he would come there again to buy the book that afternoon.
How to use "keeper"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "keeper" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "keeper" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "keeper" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "keeper" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "keeper" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "custodian" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "keeper", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who keeps (retains) something.
"Finders keepers; losers weepers."
- 2 one having charge of buildings or grounds or animals wordnet
- 3 One who remains or keeps in a place or position.
"discreet; chaste; keepers at home"
- 4 someone in charge of other people wordnet
- 5 A fruit or vegetable that keeps (remains good) for some time without spoiling.
"Roxbury Russet: Market and keeper."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 A person or thing worth keeping. informal
""Okay, that's a keeper," Harold said as he netted the 3-pounder and put him on a stringer over the side of the boat."
- 7 A person charged with guarding or caring for, storing, or maintaining something; a custodian, a guard; sometimes a gamekeeper.
"And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?"
- 8 The player charged with guarding a goal or wicket; a goalkeeper or wicketkeeper.
"England should have capitalised on their growing momentum to win, but Darren Bent failed to reproduce the finishing touches that have brought him goals in three successive appearances. He was blocked by Diego Benaglio when he was played in by Wilshere then blazed over the top of an open goal late on after Young's shot was saved by Switzerland's keeper."
- 9 At Eton College, a student who is the captain of a sport or an activity such as drama.
- 10 A part of a mechanism that catches or retains another part, for example the part of a door lock that fits in the frame and receives the bolt.
- 11 A thin, flexible tress or tongue of material (e.g. leather) at the end of a crop opposite the handle, which is broad enough to prevent the horse's skin from being marked as it might be by a whip.
"The all-whalebone crop, braided with gut, pigskin handle, single brown stitched leather keeper, and close[…]"
- 12 An offensive play in which the quarterback runs toward the goal with the ball after it is snapped.
- 13 Synonym of armature (“piece of metal connecting the poles of a magnet to preserve its strength by forming a circuit”).
"The continuous lines indicate the moments, when the magnet and keeper of equal diameter (10.5mm) act upon each other […]"
Proper Noun
- 1 An English surname originating as an occupation for the keeper of a castle.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"He told the bookstore keeper that he would come there again to buy the book that afternoon."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "keeper"?
Common synonyms include: custodian, accountant, air warden, attendant, auditor, audubon society.
How do you use "keeper" in a sentence?
He told the bookstore keeper that he would come there again to buy the book that afternoon.
How do you pronounce "keeper"?
Pronounced /ˈkiːpə/.
Etymology
From Middle English kepere. By surface analysis, keep + -er.