\Keep"er\, n.
1. One who, or that which, keeps; one who, or that which,
   holds or has possession of anything.
2. One who retains in custody; one who has the care of a
   prison and the charge of prisoners.
3. One who has the care, custody, or superintendence of
   anything; as, the keeper of a park, a pound, of sheep, of
   a gate, etc.; the keeper of attached property; hence, one
   who saves from harm; a defender; a preserver.
         The Lord is thy keeper.               --Ps. cxxi. 6.
4. One who remains or keeps in a place or position.
         Discreet; chaste; keepers at home.    --Titus ii. 5.
5. A ring, strap, clamp, or any device for holding an object
   in place; as:
   (a) The box on a door jamb into which the bolt of a lock
       protrudes, when shot.
   (b) A ring serving to keep another ring on the finger.
   (c) A loop near the buckle of a strap to receive the end
       of the strap.
6. A fruit that keeps well; as, the Roxbury Russet is a good
   keeper. -- Downing.
{Keeper of the forest} (O. Eng. Law), an officer who had the
   principal government of all things relating to the forest.
{Keeper of the great seal}, a high officer of state, who has
   custody of the great seal. The office is now united with
   that of lord chancellor. [Eng.]
{Keeper of the King's conscience}, the lord chancellor; -- a
   name given when the chancellor was an ecclesiastic. [Eng.]
{Keeper of the privy seal} (styled also lord privy seal), a
   high officer of state, through whose hands pass all
   charters, pardons, etc., before they come to the great
   seal. He is a privy councillor, and was formerly called
   {clerk of the privy seal}. [Eng.]
{Keeper of a magnet}, a piece of iron which connects the two
   poles, for the purpose of keeping the magnetic power
   undiminished; an armature.