keeper
keep·er / ˈkēpər/ • n. 1. a person who manages or looks after something or someone, in particular: ∎ a guard at a prison or a museum. ∎ short for goalkeeper. ∎ a person who is regarded as being in charge of someone else: I would not stop him—I'm his wife, not his keeper. 2. a food or drink that remains in a specified condition if stored: hazelnuts are good keepers. 3. inf. a thing worth keeping: they were deciding which drawings are questionable and which are keepers. ∎ a fish large enough to be kept when caught. 4. an object that keeps another in place, or protects something more fragile or valuable, in particular: ∎ a ring worn to keep a more valuable one on the finger. ∎ a bar of soft iron placed across the poles of a horseshoe magnet to maintain its strength. 5. Football a play in which the quarterback runs with the ball instead of handing it off or passing it.DERIVATIVES: keep·er·ship / -ˌship/ n.