keen : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: keen	by the DICT Development Group
5 results for keen
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
keen adj 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" Synonym(s): acute, discriminating, incisive, keen, knifelike, penetrating, penetrative, piercing, sharp intense or sharp; "suffered exquisite pain"; "felt exquisite pleasure" Synonym(s): exquisite, keen very good; "he did a bully job"; "a neat sports car"; "had a great time at the party"; "you look simply smashing" Synonym(s): bang-up, bully, corking, cracking, dandy, great, groovy, keen, neat, nifty, not bad(p), peachy, slap-up, swell, smashing 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" Synonym(s): cutting, keen, knifelike, piercing, stabbing, lancinate, lancinating having a sharp cutting edge or point; "a keen blade" n a funeral lament sung with loud wailing v express grief verbally; "we lamented the death of the child" Synonym(s): lament, keen
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Keen \Keen\ (k[emac]n), a. [Compar. {Keener} (-[etil]r); superl. {Keenest}.] [OE. kene sharp, bold, AS. c[emac]ne bold; akin to D. koen, OHG. kuoni, G. k[81]hn, OSw. kyn, k[94]n, Icel. k[91]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. [bd]Of full kene will.[b8] --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]