keeper

keeper — noun

1. someone employed or responsible for guarding and maintaining a building, its ani

1.nounB1
Definition

someone employed or responsible for guarding and maintaining a building, its animal residents, or valuable objects such as those in a museum

Example

Apinya works as a zoo keeper and feeds the lions every morning.

Samir is the keeper of the museum's ancient coin collection.

collocation: keeper of [collection/objects]

Common collocations
  • zoo keeper
  • gamekeeper
  • keeper of the [museum/castle/park]
  • museum keeper
  • building keeper
Synonyms
  • caretaker

    more general term, often for buildings rather than animals

  • custodian

    more formal; implies legal responsibility for something valuable

  • curator

    specifically for museums, galleries, or libraries; emphasizes expertise

  • guardian

    protective role, often with legal or moral authority

Grammar Patterns

[noun] + keeper

keeper + of + [something]

Usage Note

Frequently combined with a preceding noun (zoo keeper, gamekeeper, museum keeper) to specify what is being cared for. The pattern 'keeper of [something]' is more formal.

Common Mistakes

The keeper of the zoo showed us around the animal area.
The zoo keeper showed us around the animal area.
In everyday English, the compound noun form (zoo keeper) is more natural than 'keeper of the zoo'.

2. someone with the personal qualities that make them a good choice for a long roma

2.nounB2
Definition

someone with the personal qualities that make them a good choice for a long romantic relationship

Example

After their first date, Zola told her sister, "He is a real keeper!"

informal predicative: [someone] is a keeper

Adina knew her boyfriend was a keeper when he cooked her soup during her illness.

Common collocations
  • be a keeper
  • real keeper
  • definitely a keeper
Synonyms
  • good catch

    informal, same meaning, also used for romantic partners

  • perfect match

    emphasizes compatibility rather than general worth

Grammar Patterns

[someone] is a keeper

Usage Note

Always used predicatively — the phrase is 'someone is a keeper,' not 'a keeper person.' This sense is strongly informal and most common in conversational American English. It is typically used about potential romantic partners, but occasionally extends to friends or employees.

Common Mistakes

He is a keeper boyfriend.
He is a keeper.
'Keeper' cannot be used before a noun as an adjective.

3. something with enduring quality or usefulness that makes sense to keep rather th

3.nounB2
Definition

something with enduring quality or usefulness that makes sense to keep rather than throw away or replace

Example

Feng's old leather jacket is a keeper — it looks better every year.

Jenna tried a new pasta recipe and called it a keeper for family meals.

predicative: [thing] is a keeper

Common collocations
  • be a keeper
  • call [something] a keeper
  • consider [something] a keeper
Synonyms
  • classic

    suggests enduring quality and timelessness, especially for creative works

  • staple

    implies something used or enjoyed regularly, especially food or clothing

  • essential

    suggests necessity rather than just desirability

Grammar Patterns

[something] is a keeper

call [something] a keeper

Usage Note

Used predicatively (like sense 2), but about things rather than people. Common contexts include recipes, clothes, books, furniture, and other items that prove themselves worth keeping over time.

Common Mistakes

This is a keeper recipe.
This recipe is a keeper.
Keeper cannot act as an adjective before a noun.

4. in soccer, hockey, and similar goal-based sports, the team member positioned at

4.nounA2
Definition

in soccer, hockey, and similar goal-based sports, the team member positioned at the goal who stops the ball or puck from entering it, preventing points for the opposing side

Example

Andrés has been the keeper for the school soccer team for two seasons.

The keeper made an amazing save with one hand during the final minute.

collocation: make a save

Common collocations
  • team keeper
  • opposing keeper
  • backup keeper
  • keeper's gloves
  • keeper's goal
Synonyms
  • goalkeeper

    the full, more formal term

  • goalie

    informal abbreviation, especially in North American English

  • netminder

    used mainly in hockey; less common

Usage Note

A shortened form of 'goalkeeper,' used especially in informal sports commentary and conversation. In formal writing about soccer, hockey, handball, or lacrosse, the full term 'goalkeeper' is preferred. In British English, 'goalkeeper' is commonly shortened to 'keeper'; the abbreviation 'goalie' is also used informally.

Common Mistakes

The keeper kicked the ball toward the other team's goal.' (confusing role)
The keeper kicked the ball away from the goal to clear the danger.
The keeper's main job is to prevent goals, not to advance the ball.

5. the fielder on a cricket team who stands immediately behind the stumps — three u

5.nounB2
Definition

the fielder on a cricket team who stands immediately behind the stumps — three upright sticks targeted by the bowler — and whose role is to catch any ball the striker misses

Example

The team's wicketkeeper stood behind the stumps, ready for the next ball.

Pakistan's wicketkeeper jumped high and caught the ball before it hit the ground.

Common collocations
  • wicketkeeper's gloves
  • behind the stumps
  • stand back to the stumps
  • wicketkeeper-batter
Synonyms
  • wicketkeeper

    the full, formal term

  • gloveman

    colloquial, used mainly in British and Australian cricket commentary

  • stumper

    informal Australian term

Usage Note

Often shortened to 'keeper' in cricket commentary and informal discussion. The full term 'wicketkeeper' is used in scorecards, formal writing, and match introductions. The wicketkeeper is the only fielder allowed to wear gloves and leg pads.

Common Mistakes

The wicketkeeper is the next batter.
The wicketkeeper fields behind the stumps and does not automatically bat next.
While wicketkeepers often bat, they are primarily fielders, and batting order is separate.
Idioms

finders keepers

idiom

A rule that says if you find something, you can keep it.

Maya found a dollar on the street and shouted, 'Finders keepers!'

When Diego picked up the lost wallet, his friend said, 'Finders keepers, right?'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe someone who looks after something, but they differ in scope and formality. A keeper is the most general term — zoo keepers, gamekeepers, and museum keepers all fall under this word. A caretaker typically looks after a building and its grounds, often doing practical maintenance work. A custodian has a more formal, often legal sense of responsibility — a custodian is entrusted with preserving something important. A curator is specifically an expert who manages and researches a museum, gallery, or library collection. A guardian protects someone or something, often with legal authority over a person or an institution's interests. For example, a zoo keeper feeds the animals and cleans their enclosures; a museum curator researches the artifacts and plans exhibitions; and a building's custodian handles repairs and security.

caretakercustodiancurator ↗guardian ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • act as keeper
  • appoint someone keeper
  • serve as keeper

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Keeper comes from the Old English verb cēpan, which meant 'to seize, hold, or observe,' plus the agent suffix -ere (someone who does something). The original sense was simply 'one who keeps or guards something.' By the 1300s it was used for people with official guarding roles, such as castle keepers and prison keepers. The sporting senses — a shortened form of goalkeeper (from the 1800s) and wicketkeeper (from cricket's early days) — emerged as team sports developed rules and positions. The informal 'good partner' meaning appeared in American English in the early 1900s, originally used among young people to describe someone worth keeping in a relationship.