also peacekeeping, 1961 in the international sense, "regular maintenance by an organization of peace between nations or communities," from peace + keeping, verbal noun from keep (v.). Earlier "preservation of law and order" (mid-15c.), from verbal phrase keep the peace. Related: Peace-keeper (1570s).
"anything kept or given to be kept for the sake of the giver; a token of friendship," 1790, from keep (v.) + sake (n.1); an unusual formation on model of namesake; thus an object kept for the sake of the giver. The word was used c. 1830s in titles of popular holiday gift books containing beautiful engravings and mediocre poetry. As an adjective by 1839.
late 14c., "continue keeping of, keep possession of, keep attached to one's person;" early 15c., "hold back, restrain" (a sense now obsolete); from Old French retenir "keep, retain; take into feudal service; hold back; remember" (12c.), from Latin retinere "hold back, keep back, detain, restrain," from re- "back" (see re-) + tenere "to hold" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch").
The meaning "to engage to keep (another) attached to one's person, keep in service" is from mid-15c.; specifically of lawyers from 1540s. Meaning "keep in the mind, preserve knowledge or an idea of" is from c. 1500. Related: Retained; retaining.
"having the power or quality of preserving from decay or destruction," 1580s, from Latin conservantem (nominative conservans), past participle of conservare "to keep, preserve, keep intact, guard," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + servare "keep watch, maintain" (from PIE root *ser- (1) "to protect").
mid-14c., "keep back or in store for future use;" late 14c., "keep as one's own," from Old French reserver "set aside, withhold" (12c.) and directly from Latin reservare "keep back, save up; retain, preserve," from re- "back" (see re-) + servare "to keep, save, preserve, protect" (from PIE root *ser- (1) "to protect"). Meaning "to book" is from 1935. Related: Reserved; reserving.
"to keep safe, preserve from loss or decay," late 14c., from Old French conserver (9c.), from Latin conservare "to keep, preserve, keep intact, guard," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + servare "keep watch, maintain" (from PIE root *ser- (1) "to protect"). Related: Conserved; conserving.
As a noun (often conserves) from late 14c. as "that which preserves;" early 15c. as "a confection, something preserved with sugar, etc."
late 14c., preserven, "keep safe or free from harm," also "act so as to insure that something does not occur," from Anglo-French preservare, Old French preserver, Medieval Latin preservare "keep, preserve," all from Late Latin praeservare "guard beforehand," from Latin prae "before" (see pre-) + servare "to keep safe" (from PIE root *ser- (1) "to protect").
From early 15c. as "maintain, keep in a certain quality, state or condition." Of fruit, etc., "prevent from spoiling by use of preservative substances," 1570s; of organic bodies, "keep in existence or alive," from 1610s. Related: Preserved; preserver; preserving.
