Keeper
/ˈkiːpər/noun
A person or thing that keeps, guards, or holds something in custody.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Old English cēpan, a verb that originally meant to seize or take hold, showing how “keeping” began with the idea of gripping something tightly.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kap-
“to seize, take hold”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kopjaną
“to seize, grasp, or take care of”
Old English
OE
cēpan
“to seize, hold, or keep”
Middle English
ME
kepen
“to keep, guard, preserve”
Modern English
English
keeper
“a person or thing that keeps, guards, or maintains something”