housekeep

Back-formation from housekeeping.

housekeep (third-person singular simple present housekeeps, present participle housekeeping, simple past and past participle housekept)

1. (intransitive) To carry out the domestic duties of housekeeping.
   • 1904, Carolyn Wells, Patty at Home‎:

     I would go to school, and practise, and housekeep, and club; all in their proper proportions--" Here Patty glanced at her father.

   • 1901, Kate Douglas Wiggin, Penelope's Irish Experiences‎:

     "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."

2. (transitive, intransitive, computing) To perform the general tasks of housekeeping.
   • 1965, P. A. Crisman, The compatible time-sharing system: a programmer's guide (page 14)

     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.

housekeep (plural housekeeps)

1. (archaic or fantasy) The person in charge of a house; a housekeeper or innkeeper.
   • 1993, Sharon Green, Flame of Fury (page 153)

     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.

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

     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'.

   • 2016, Rowena Cory Daniells, King Breaker

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

• keep house