keeper

noun

keep·​er ˈkē-pər 

1

: one that keeps: such as

a

: protector

b

: gamekeeper

c

: warden

d

: custodian

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

: goalkeeper

5

: an offensive football play in which the quarterback runs with the ball

Synonyms of keeper

• custodian
• guardian
• guard
• warden

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

Redshirt linebacker West Weeks nose-dived to brace the pile and pushed the goal-line quarterback keeper back for a turnover on downs. —Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 17 Nov. 2025

Officials had previously said the Canadian bishops would receive the artifacts with the explicit understanding that the ultimate keepers will be the Indigenous communities themselves. —NPR, 15 Nov. 2025

These headphones are definitely a keeper! —PC Magazine, 11 Nov. 2025

His next move only added to that fairytale, somehow bending it up, over, and around Union keeper Frederik Ronnow. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing keeper

• park-keeper

Rhymes for keeper

• beeper
• cheaper
• creeper
• deeper
• reaper
• sleeper
• steeper
• sweeper
• beekeeper
• bookkeeper
• doorkeeper
• gamekeeper

Kids Definition

keeper

noun

keep·​er ˈkē-pər 

: 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