housekeep

present singular third person housekeeps · participle present housekeeping · participle past housekept · past housekept

1. intransitiveTo carry out the domestic duties of housekeeping.

   I would go to school, and practise, and housekeep, and club; all in their proper proportions⁠——

   1904, Carolyn Wells, “The Decision”, in Patty at Home, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, →OCLC, page 24

   1 more example

   "I knew our week at this hotel was out to-morrow," she continued, "and we've about used up this place, anyway, and the new village that I've b'en to is the prettiest place we've seen yet; it's got an up-and-down hill to it, just like home, and the house I've partly rented is opposite a fair green, where there's a market every week, and Wednesday's the day; and we'll save money, for I shan't cost you so much when we can housekeep."

   1901, Kate Douglas Wiggin, Penelope's Irish Experiences

2. ambitransitivecomputingTo perform the general tasks of housekeeping.

   The clock burst which enables the supervisor to housekeep the console input and output and to change program status is currently set to 200 ms.

   1965, P. A. Crisman, The compatible time-sharing system: a programmer's guide, page 14

plural housekeeps

1. archaicfantasyThe person in charge of a house; a housekeeper or innkeeper.

   'Clumsy, stupid girl!' 'Here, there's no call for that,' the house-keep protested. 'She's only trying to help.'

   2016, Rowena Cory Daniells, King Breaker

   2 more examples

   The housekeep was back rather quickly with a tray, which held a flagon of ale and a pewter cup as well as bread and cheese.

   1993, Sharon Green, Flame of Fury, page 153

   Something clearly went wrong, for in the accounts for 1624, against the record of £50 paid to Jenninges the Housekeep at Theobalds for the setting of those Trees wch my Lord sent the king', Sackville Crowe has written in the margin that "This my Lord would not have comaunded againe though it were for the [king's] use'.

   2014, Jennifer Potter, Strange Blooms: The Curious Lives and Adventures of the John Tradescants