KEENER

Proper noun

Keener (plural Keeners)

A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Keener is the 2633rd most common surname in the United States, belonging to 13687 individuals. Keener is most common among White (90.24%) individuals.

Etymology

Adjective

keener

comparative form of keen

Noun

keener (plural keeners)

(dated) One who keens at a funeral.

(informal, UK, Canada) Someone who is excessively keen or eager, possibly making others look bad; a brown-noser.

Source: Wiktionary


Keen"er, n.

Definition: A professional mourner who wails at a funeral. [Ireland]

KEEN

Keen, a. [Compar. Keener; superl. Keenest.] Etym: [OE. kene sharp, bold, AS.c bold; akin to D. koen, OHG. kuoni, G. kühn, OSw. kyn, kön, Icel. kænn, for koenn wise; perh. akin to E. ken, can to be able.

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. Shak.

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. Shak. 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. Shak.

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. Shak.

Note: Keen is often used in the composition of words, most of which are of obvious signification; as, keen-edged, keen-eyed, keen- sighted, keen-witted, etc.

Syn.

– Prompt; eager; ardent; sharp; acute; cutting; penetrating; biting; severe; sarcastic; satirical; piercing; shrewd.

Keen, v. t.

Definition: To sharpen; to make cold. [R.] Cold winter keens the brightening flood. Thomson.

Keen, n. Etym: [Ir. caoine.]

Definition: A prolonged wail for a deceased person. Cf. Coranach. [Ireland] Froude.

Keen, v. i.

Definition: To wail as a keener does. [Ireland]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 February 2025

BARGAIN

(noun) an advantageous purchase; “she got a bargain at the auction”; “the stock was a real buy at that price”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest iced coffee is 14,228.1 liters and was created by Caffé Bene (South Korea), in Yangju, South Korea, on 17 July 2014. They poured iced black Americano on the giant cup that measured 3.3 meters tall and 2.62 meters wide.

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