Webster's English Dictionary

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keen

Cross references:
  1. eager                  2. sharp                 
 
1. keen \'ke-n\ \'ke-n-n*s\ aj [ME kene brave, sharp, fr. OE ce-ne brave; 
   akin to OHG kuoni)X brave, OE cna-wan to know - more at KNOW 1a: having a 
   fine edge or point : SHARP {a ~ sword}  1b: affecting one as if by cutting 
   {~ sarcasm}  1c: pungent to the sense {a ~ scent}  2a: showing a quick and 
   ardent responsiveness : ENTHUSIASTIC {a  ~ swimmer} of emotion or feeling  
   2b: INTENSE  3a: ACUTE, ASTUTE {~ mind}  3b: sharply contested {~ debate}  
   3c: extremely sensitive in perception {~ eyesight}  slang  4: WONDERFUL, 
   EXCELLENT  - keen.ly av
2. keen vb [IrGael caoinim I lament] 1a: to lament with a keen  1b: to make 
   a sound suggestive of a keen  2: to lament, mourn, or complain loudly  : to 
   utter by keening  - keen.er n
3. keen n : a lamentation for the dead uttered in a loud wailing voice or 
   sometimes  in a wordless cry