Part 493

To make our wits more keen.

Shak.

Before the keen inquiry of her thought.

Cowper.

3. Bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm.

Good father cardinal, cry thou amen To my keen curses.

Shak.

4. Piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; -- applied to cold, wind, etc.; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen.

Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes.

Goldsmith.

5. Eager; vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite. "Of full kene will." Piers Plowman.

So keen and greedy to confound a man.

Shak.

Keen is often used in the composition of words, most of which are of obvious signification; as, keen-edged, keen-eyed, keen-sighted, keen-witted, etc.

Syn. -- Prompt; eager; ardent; sharp; acute; cutting; penetrating; biting; severe; sarcastic; satirical; piercing; shrewd.

Keen, v. t. To sharpen; to make cold. [R.]

Cold winter keens the brightening flood.

Thomson.

Keen, n. [Ir. caoine.] A prolonged wail for a deceased person. Cf. Coranach. [Ireland] Froude.

Keen, v. i. To wail as a keener does. [Ireland]

Keen"er (?), n. A professional mourner who wails at a funeral. [Ireland]

Keen"ly, adv. In a keen manner.

Keen"ness, n. The quality or state of being keen.

Keep (kp), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Kept (kpt); p. pr. & vb. n. Keeping.] [OE. kpen, AS. cpan to keep, regard, desire, await, take, betake; cf. AS. copenere lover, OE. copnien to desire.] 1. To care; to desire. [Obs.]

I kepe not of armes for to yelp [boast].

Chaucer.

2. 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.

If we lose the field, We can not keep the town.