1A person who manages or looks after something or someone.

1. 1.1 A custodian of a museum or gallery collection.
   as title he was Keeper of Western Art at the Ashmolean Museum

   Example sentencesExamples

   • After the war he was appointed keeper of archaeology in the National Museum of Wales but in 1926 he left Wales to become Director of the London Museum.
   • Chris Barclay, keeper of archaeology and curator of the museum, joined Hull Council only a few weeks ago but has already been awed by the scale of the development.
   • Christian Rumelin is assistant keeper of prints and twentieth-century art at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.
   • The collection's keeper, Selena Skipwith, is buoyant in her determination that this should be only the start.
   • Dr Newman taught at the University of Bangor, North Wales, and then returned to York to become keeper of military history at the Castle Museum.
   • Most were not sure what to do, and called for keepers or guards to apprehend her.
   • The keeper of special collections there, Richard Ovenden, has been striving mightily to raise the necessary millions.
   • But Craig Barclay, keeper of numismatics at the Yorkshire Museum, said he was not surprised to see such a coin coming up for auction.
   • Prison stories abound, but the keepers of the prisons and the keepers of the information tell very different stories from the prisoners.
   • The keeper of the William Morris Gallery, Norah Gillow, took a more positive view.
   • Wheeler is now the keeper and head of entomology at the Natural History Museum in London.
   • For Lydia, the exhibition marks her first as assistant keeper at the museum, where her grandparents were once volunteer guides.
   • Daniel Smith, keeper of social history at the museum, tells me they recently received a large collection of old photographs featuring Poppy's work.
   • The keeper of the Yorkshire Museum, who examined the skull, said that it did not belong to a fully grown person and might be medieval.
   • The museum's keeper of natural sciences, Stephen Hewitt, said he was ‘delighted’ to be given the collection.
   • The keeper of environmental records at the museum, Colin Howes, said the ring ouzel was the first specimen they had ever received from the South Yorkshire area.
   • The prison keeper allowed many Christians in to visit Perpetua, Felicitas, and the four surviving young men.
   • Inside Australian prisons the keepers and the kept eyed each other suspiciously waiting for some indication of the other's intentions.
   • The museum's keeper of environmental records Colin Howes was delighted to discover that it was the first recorded sighting of them in Doncaster.
   • The coin had been earlier reported to Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, where it is being researched by keeper of coins Dr Mark Blackburn.
   • Perhaps, although this is a conjecture, his prison keepers would prefer that he use a readable form.
   • The new keeper of the mineral collection at the university, Dr. Bill Minarik, took attendees to view the collection.
   • A team headed by dinosaur expert and the museum's keeper of geology Dr Phil Manning, have prepared, conserved and interpreted the find.

   Synonyms

   curator, conservator, custodian, guardian, administrator, overseer

   steward, caretaker, superintendent

   governor, warden, attendant
2. 1.2 An animal attendant employed in a zoo.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • Furthermore, animal keepers have been ordered to add herbal medicines to their animals food and water to build up their resistance to the heat.
   • Some of these plastic items are detected and removed by the animal keepers.
   • If the animal keepers find someone teasing the animals, they warn him or ask him to leave, they claim.
   • The keepers are warning people not to play with the animal if they see it, as it has sharp canine teeth that can inflict serious bites.
   • Mony was born nine years ago at the zoo, and over time has become a favourite with the animal keepers.
   • The keeper withdraws, prompting the animal to slowly return to a corner of the enclosure.
   • When individual animals seem unable to reproduce, keepers can call in physiologists to diagnose possible biological problems.
   • This makes them feel quite comfortable and they love walking up and down the enclosure, says one of the animal keepers, Mari.
   • It was only with great difficulty that the animal keepers were able to herd Rita away to safety on such occasions.
   • According to animal keepers, hippos by nature require their ‘corner of the pool’ in the enclosure.
   • Scientists and keepers try to help animals breed naturally.
   • She began to lose her sight five years ago, causing her to become timid, irritable and even attack animal keepers on occasion.
   • His most controversial policy is encouraging the keepers to develop close relationships with the animals.
   • I watched as people fed sweet popcorn to the animals as their supposed keepers stood idly watching.
   • The pets' corner was left in the temporary care of another council employee while the keeper took a break between June 20 and July 13.
   • Some argue that the zoo staff, especially the animal keepers should be trained in the art of ‘presenting’ the animal to the visitors in an engaging manner.
   • Poor funding and underpaid animal keepers make the conditions for some of the animals almost unbearable.
   • The animal has been described as looking like a pipe cleaner by his keepers and joins animals including deer and reindeer.
   • In addition to providing objects and hiding food, some of the enrichment activities also help the keepers care for the animals.
   • Right now, the animal keepers from the circus stay at the zoo, attending to all the needs of the chimps.
3. 1.3
   short for gamekeeper

   Example sentencesExamples

   • In Scottish winters, while the rest of the country yearns for sun, the keepers on grouse moors pray for a deep, deep frost.
   • Huntsmen and keepers came together and piled up the bodies.
   • Now numerous pairs are established safely in the wild mountain country which was the home of their ancestors, and from which they were driven by the persecution of Victorian keepers and trophy hunters.
   • The park then chose another keeper to manage the tigers.
   • From the late 18th century, successive dukes commissioned images of members of their households, particularly the keepers and huntsmen.
   • Primary responsibility for caring for animals resides with the farmers and the keepers who have demonstrated their commitment in this regard over the years.
   • Security experts also suggest that keepers tag and photograph their animals or implant microchip identification.
   • However, on a bad year, you are employing all your keepers and you are not getting any revenue.

2

3A fish large enough to be kept when caught.

1. 3.1informal A person or thing that is valuable and to be cherished.
   this disc is a keeper and one that belongs on every serious DVD collector's shelf

   if he's a good communicator and a great listener, he's a keeper

4A plain ring worn to preserve a hole in a pierced ear lobe; a sleeper.

1. 4.1 A ring worn to keep a more valuable one on the finger.
2. 4.2 A bar of soft iron placed across the poles of a horseshoe magnet to maintain its strength.

5with adjective A food or drink that remains in a specified condition if stored.

6American Football
A play in which the quarterback receives the ball from the centre and runs with it.