KEENERS

Noun

keeners

plural of keener

Proper noun

Keeners

plural of Keener

Source: Wiktionary


KEENER

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



RESET



Word of the Day

15 November 2024

HISTOLOGICALLY

(adverb) involving the use of histology or histological techniques; “histologically identifiable structures”


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.

coffee icon