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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Keen \Keen\ (k[=e]n), adjective [Compar. {Keener} (k[=e]n"[~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.
6. Wonderful; delightful; marvelous; as, that would be keen. [slang] [PJC]
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 The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Keen \Keen\, verb (used with an object) To sharpen; to make cold. [R.]
Cold winter keens the brightening flood. --Thomson.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Keen \Keen\, noun [Ir. caoine.] A prolonged wail for a deceased person. Cf. {Coranach}. [Ireland] --Froude.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Keen \Keen\, verb (used without an object) To wail as a keener does. [Ireland]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
keen
adjective
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: very good; "he did a bully job"; "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"
noun: a funeral lament sung with loud wailing
verb: express grief verbally; "we lamented the death of the child" [syn: {lament}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
490 Moby Thesaurus words for "keen": Attic, OK, Siberian, ablaze, absorbing, ace-high, acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulent, acidulous, acrid, acrimonious, active, acute, adroit, afire, aggressive, agile, agog, alacritous, alert, algid, alive, all agog, animate, animated, anxious, apt, arctic, ardent, argute, asperous, astringent, astute, athirst, attentive, avid, awake, bad, bang-up, bark, bawl, bellow, below zero, bemoan, bewail, biting, bitter, bitterly cold, blare, blat, bleak, blubber, boiling over, bonzer, boom, boreal, boss, brainy, bray, breathe, breathless, bright, brilliant, brisk, brumal, buggy, bugs, bully, burning, bursting to, but good, buzz, cackle, canny, cant, caterwaul, caustic, chant, chirp, clever, cold, cold as charity, cold as death, cold as ice, cold as marble, coo, cool, cordial, corking, coronach, corroding, corrosive, crackerjack, crafty, creak, creaky, crisp, crow, cry, cunning, cutting, dandy, dead march, death knell, death song, deep, deep-felt, deepgoing, delicious, delirious, deplore, desirous, detailed, devoted, devoted to, dexterous, dirge, discerning, discriminating, discriminative, distinct, distressful, distressing, divine, dolorous tirade, double-edged, drastic, drawl, droll, drunk, ducky, dynamic, eager, ear-piercing, earnest, edged, elegize, elegy, enamored of, energetic, enterprising, enthusiastic, epicedium, escharotic, eulogy, excessive, excited, exclaim, excruciating, exorbitant, exquisite, extravagant, extreme, exuberant, fab, facetious, featheredged, febrile, fervent, fervid, fevered, feverish, fierce, fiery, fine, fine and dandy, fired, flaming, flushed, flute, fond of, forceful, forcible, forward, freezing, freezing cold, frigid, full of life, full of pep, funeral march, funeral oration, funeral song, funny, furious, gasp, gay, gear, gelid, gifted, give sorrow words, glacial, glorious, glowing, go-go, graveside oration, great, grieve, grievous, groan, groovy, growl, grunt, gung ho, harsh, heartfelt, hearty, heated, heavy, hibernal, hiemal, hiss, homefelt, hot, howl, howling, humorous, humorsome, hunky-dory, hyperborean, ice-cold, ice-encrusted, icelike, icy, immoderate, impassioned, impatient, impetuous, incisive, inclement, indelible, intelligent, intemperate, intense, intoxicated, irritating, itching, jam-up, jeremiad, jesting, jocose, jocular, joking, joky, joshing, just dandy, keen-edged, keen-witted, keening, kinetic, knell, knifelike, lament, lamentation, lilt, lively, living, lusty, marvy, mean, mettlesome, moan, monody, mordacious, mordant, mourn, muffled drums, mumble, murmur, mutter, neat, nifty, nimble, nimble-witted, nipping, nippy, no dumbbell, nobby, nose-tickling, not born yesterday, numbing, nutty, okay, on fire, on the, on the alert, on the ball, on the job, out of sight, outcry, outrageous, painful, pant, panting, passing bell, passionate, peachy, peachy-keen, penetrating, peppy, perceptive, percipient, perfervid, perspicacious, pervading, piercing, pinching, pipe, piping, piquant, plaint, planctus, poignant, pointed, profound, prompt, pungent, qui vive, quick, quick-thinking, quick-witted, rapier-like, raring to, raw, razor-edged, ready, ready and willing, red-hot, reedy, repine, requiem, rigorous, ripping, roar, robust, rough, rum, rumble, salt, salty, sarcastic, sardonic, scathing, scintillating, scorching, screak, screaky, scream, screech, screeching, screechy, scrumptious, searing, sensitive, set, severe, sharp, sharp-sighted, sharp-witted, sharpened, shrewd, shriek, shrieking, shrieky, shrill, sibilate, sigh, sing, sing the blues, skirl, skreigh, slap-up, sleepless, sleety, slushy, smacking, smart, smashing, snap, snappy, snarl, snort, sob, solid, something else, sorrow, sough, sour, spanking, sparkling, specific, spiffing, spiffy, spirited, splitting, sprightly, squall, squawk, squeak, squeaking, squeaky, squeal, stabbing, steaming, steamy, steel-trap, stinging, stone-cold, strenuous, strident, stringent, strong, stunning, subzero, supercooled, swell, take-charge, take-over, talented, tart, thin, thirsty, threnode, threnody, thunder, tirade, tough, trenchant, trumpet, twang, two-edged, ululant, ululate, ululation, unblinking, unconscionable, unmistakable, unmistaken, unnodding, unrestrained, unsleeping, unwinking, vehement, venomous, vibrant, vigorous, violent, virulent, vital, vitriolic, vivacious, vivid, wail, wail of woe, wailing, wakeful, warble, warm, weep, weep over, whimper, whimsical, whine, whining, whisper, whistle, whistling, wide-awake, winterbound, winterlike, wintery, wintry, wise, withering, witty, wizard, wrawl, yammer, yap, yawp, yell, yelp, yowl, zealous, zestful, zesty, zippy
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