keening (not comparable)
Sharp, shrill, especially of a sound.
keening (countable and uncountable, plural keenings)
Intense mournful wailing after a death, often at a funeral or wake
(by extension) An unpleasant wailing sound.
keening
present participle of keen
• kneeing
Source: Wiktionary
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
27 April 2024
(adjective) remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude or effect; “a great crisis”; “had a great stake in the outcome”
According to Guinness World Records, the most massive cup of coffee contained 22,739.14 liters and was created by AlcaldĂa Municipal de Chinchiná (Colombia) at Parque de BolĂvar, Chinchiná, Caldas, Colombia, on 15 June 2019. Fifty people worked for more than a month to build this giant cup. The drink prepared was Arabic coffee.
