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Webster 1913 Edition


Keen

Keen

(kēn)
,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Keener
(kēn′ẽr)
;
sup
erl.
Keenest
.]
[OE.
kene
sharp, bold, AS.
cēne
bold; akin to D.
koen
, OHG.
kuoni
, G.
kühn
, OSw.
kyn
,
kön
, Icel.
kænn
, for
kœnn
wise; perh. akin to E.
ken
,
can
to be able. √45.]
1.
Sharp; having a fine edge or point;
as, a
keen
razor, or a razor with a
keen
edge
.
A bow he bare and arwes [arrows] bright and
kene
.
Chaucer.
That my
keen
knife see not the wound it makes.
Shakespeare
2.
Acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness;
as, a man of
keen
understanding; a
keen
look;
keen
features.
To make our wits more
keen
.
Shakespeare
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.
Shakespeare
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.
Shakespeare
Syn. – Prompt; eager; ardent; sharp; acute; cutting; penetrating; biting; severe; sarcastic; satirical; piercing; shrewd.

Keen

,
Verb.
T.
To sharpen; to make cold.
[R.]
Cold winter
keens
the brightening flood.
Thomson.

Keen

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

Keen

,
Verb.
I.
To wail as a keener does.
[Ireland]

Webster 1828 Edition


Keen

KEEN

, a.
1.
Eager; vehement; as hungry curs too keen at the sport.
The sheep were so keen on the acorns--
2.
Eager; sharp; as a keen appetite.
3.
Sharp; having a very fine edge; as a keen razor, or a razor with a keen edge. We say a keen edge, but a sharp point.
4.
Piercing; penetrating; severe; applied to cold or to wind; as a keen wind; the cold is very keen.
5.
Bitter; piercing; acrimonious; as keen satire or sarcasm.
Good father cardinal, cry thou amen,
To my keen curses.

KEEN

,
Verb.
T.
To sharpen. [Unusual.]

Definition 2024


keen

keen

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

keen (comparative keener, superlative keenest)

  1. showing a quick and ardent willingness or responsiveness, enthusiastic, eager; interested, intense.
  2. vehement; fierce
    This boy has a keen appetite.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Piers Plowman
      Of full keen will.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Shakespeare
      So keen and greedy to confound a man.
  3. sharp; having a fine edge or point.
  4. acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Shakespeare
      To make our wits more keen.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Cowper
      Before the keen inquiry of her thought.
  5. bitter; piercing; acrimonious;
    keen satire or sarcasm
    • (Can we date this quote?) Shakespeare
      Good father cardinal, cry thou amen to my keen curses.
  6. piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; -- applied to cold, wind, etc.
    a keen wind
    the cold is very keen
    • (Can we date this quote?), Goldsmith
      Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes.
  7. (Britain, often with "to" + infinitive or with a prepositional phrase) enthusiastic.
    I'm keen to learn another language.
    I'm keen on learning another language.
    I'm keen on languages.
    I'm keen about learning languages.
    I'm keen for help.
    "Do you want to learn another language?" / "I'm keen."
  8. (US, informal, dated) marvelous.
    I just got this peachy keen new dress.
    • 1985, Douglas Adams, The Original Hitchhiker Radio Scripts (page 82)
      Well our hosts here attacked us with a fantastic Dismodulating Anti Phase stun ray and then invited us to this amazingly keen meal by way of making it up to us.
  9. (Britain) extremely low as to be competitive.
    keen prices
  10. (obsolete) brave, courageous; bold, audacious.
Usage notes
  • Keen is often used in the composition of words, most of which are of obvious signification, for example keen-edged, keen-eyed, keen-sighted, keen-witted, etc.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

keen (third-person singular simple present keens, present participle keening, simple past and past participle keened)

  1. (transitive, rare) To sharpen; to make cold.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Thomson.
      Cold winter keens the brightening flood.

Etymology 2

From Irish caoin (keen, weep, cry).

Noun

keen (plural keens)

  1. A prolonged wail for a deceased person.
    • 1922, Michael Arlen, chapter 3/5/1, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
      [] she went so swiftly that he could only follow her to the door. The large shape of the car swallowed her up; and the car twisted softly around the little drive and away to the London road. Minutes later he heard its Klaxon, just one sharp keen, like the harsh cry of a sea-bird.

Verb

keen (third-person singular simple present keens, present participle keening, simple past and past participle keened)

  1. (intransitive) To utter a keen.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Stuart Howard-Jones (1904-1974), Hibernia. Collected in The New Oxford Book of English Light Verse, 1978.
      Keen—meaning 'brisk'? Nay, here the Language warps:
      'Tis singing bawdy Ballads to a Corpse.
  2. (transitive) To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.
    • 2001, Mercedes Lackey, Brightly Burning:
      Satiran, lost in his own grief, shuddered once, then lifted his head to the sky and keened out his loss to the heavens.
  3. (transitive) To mourn.
    • 1996, Virginia Brodine, Seed of the fire, page 28:
      I keened my Gran, I keened my babies, but then my words poured out of my grief. I don 't have the full heart like that for Owen, sorry as I am for his goin. Without the heavy grief on me I can maybe think of the words easier
Related terms

Anagrams


Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /keːn/
    • Rhymes: -eːn

Particle

keen m, n

  1. no, not any, not a

Declension

Luxembourgish negative articles
masculine feminine neuter plural
nom./acc. keen keng keen keng
dative kengem kenger kengem kengen

Somali

Verb

keen

  1. bring