Hypertext Webster Gateway: "keen"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Keen \Keen\ (k[=e]n), a. [Compar. {Keener} (-[~e]r); superl.
{Keenest}.] [OE. kene sharp, bold, AS. c[=e]ne bold; akin to
D. koen, OHG. kuoni, G. k["u]hn, OSw. kyn, k["o]n, Icel.
k[ae]nn, for k[oe]nn wise; perh. akin to E. ken, can to be
able. [root]45. ]
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.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Keen \Keen\, v. t.
To sharpen; to make cold. [R.]
Cold winter keens the brightening flood. --Thomson.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Keen \Keen\, n. [Ir. caoine.]
A prolonged wail for a deceased person. Cf. {Coranach}.
[Ireland] --Froude.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Keen \Keen\, v. i.
To wail as a keener does. [Ireland]
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
keen
adj 1: having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine
distinctions; "an acute observer of politics and
politicians"; "incisive comments"; "icy knifelike
reasoning"; "as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a
fang"; "penetrating insight"; "frequent penetrative
observations" [syn: {acute}, {discriminating}, {incisive},
{knifelike}, {penetrating}, {penetrative}, {piercing},
{sharp}]
2: intense or sharp; "suffered exquisite pain"; "felt exquisite
pleasure" [syn: {exquisite}]
3: very penetrating and clear and sharp in operation; "an
incisive mind"; "a keen intelligence"; "of sharp and
active intellect" [syn: {incisive}, {sharp}]
4: (informal) very good; "a bully pulpit"; "a neat sports car";
"had a great time at the party"; "you look simply
smashing" [syn: {bang-up}, {bully}, {corking}, {cracking},
{dandy}, {great}, {groovy}, {neat}, {nifty}, {not bad(p)},
{peachy}, {slap-up}, {swell}, {smashing}]
5: as physically painful as if caused by a sharp instrument; "a
cutting wind"; "keen winds"; "knifelike cold"; "piercing
knifelike pains"; "piercing cold"; "piercing criticism";
"a stabbing pain"; "lancinating pain" [syn: {cutting}, {knifelike},
{piercing}, {stabbing}, {lancinate}, {lancinating}]
6: having a sharp cutting edge or point; "a keen blade"
n : (Irish) a funeral lament sung with loud wailing
v : express grief verbally [syn: {lament}]
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