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Keen vs Wager - What's the difference?

keen | wager |

In transitive terms the difference between keen and wager

is that keen is to mourn while wager is to bet something; to put it up as collateral.

As verbs the difference between keen and wager

is that keen is to sharpen; to make cold while wager is to bet something; to put it up as collateral.

As nouns the difference between keen and wager

is that keen is a prolonged wail for a deceased person while wager is something deposited, laid, or hazarded on the event of a contest or an unsettled question; a bet; a stake; a pledge.

As an adjective keen

is showing a quick and ardent willingness or responsiveness, enthusiastic, eager; interested, intense.

keen

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) . More at (l), (l).

Alternative forms

* keene, kene (archaic)

Adjective

(er)
  • showing a quick and ardent willingness or responsiveness, enthusiastic, eager; interested, intense.
  • vehement; fierce; as, a keen appetite.
  • * (rfdate),
    • Of full keen will.
  • * (rfdate), Shakespeare
    • So keen and greedy to confound a man.
  • sharp; having a fine edge or point.
  • * (rfdate) :
    • That my keen knife see not the wound it makes.
  • acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness.
  • * (rfdate),
    • To make our wits more keen .
  • * (rfdate),
    • Before the keen inquiry of her thought.
  • bitter; piercing; acrimonious; cutting; stinging; severe; as, keen satire or sarcasm.
  • * (rfdate)
    • Good father cardinal, cry thou amen to my keen curses.
  • piercing; penetrating; cutting; sharp; -- applied to cold, wind, etc,; as, a keen wind; the cold is very keen.
  • * (rfdate),
    • Breasts the keen air, and carols as he goes.
  • Enthusiastic
    • I'm keen to learn another language.
    I'm keen on learning another language.
    I'm keen on languages.
    I'm keen about learning languages.
    I'm keen for help.
    ''"Do you want to learn another language?" / "I'm keen ."
  • (US, informal, dated) Marvelous.
    • I just got this peachy keen new dress.
  • (UK) extremely low as to be competitive.
    • keen prices
  • (obsolete) brave, courageous; bold, audacious.
    • Usage notes
    * 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.
    Synonyms
    * prompt; eager; ardent; sharp; acute; cutting; penetrating; biting; severe; sarcastic; satirical; piercing; shrewd. * See also
    Derived terms
    * keen-witted * keen as mustard * keen on * keenly * keenness

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (rare) To sharpen; to make cold.
  • * (rfdate), Thomson.
    • Cold winter keens the brightening flood.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A prolonged wail for a deceased person.
  • * '>citation

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To utter a keen.
  • * (rfdate) Stuart Howard-Jones (1904-1974), Hibernia.'' Collected in ''The New Oxford Book of English Light Verse, 1978.
    • Keen —meaning 'brisk'? Nay, here the Language warps:
    'Tis singing bawdy Ballads to a Corpse.
  • To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.
  • *
  • To mourn.
  • *
    • Related terms
    * keener * keeness

    Anagrams

    * ----

    wager

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) wageure'', from ''wagier'' "to pledge" (compare Old French guagier, whence modern French gager). See also ''wage .

    Noun

    (wikipedia wager) (en noun)
  • Something deposited, laid, or hazarded on the event of a contest or an unsettled question; a bet; a stake; a pledge.
  • * Sir W. Temple
    • Besides these Plates, the Wagers may be as the Persons please among themselves, but the Horses must be evidenced by good Testimonies to have been bred in Ireland.
  • * Bentley
    • If any atheist can stake his soul for a wager against such an inexhaustible disproportion, let him never hereafter accuse others of credulity.
  • (legal) A contract by which two parties or more agree that a certain sum of money, or other thing, shall be paid or delivered to one of them, on the happening or not happening of an uncertain event.
    • (Bouvier)
  • That on which bets are laid; the subject of a bet.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To bet something; to put it up as collateral
    • I'd wager my boots on it.
  • (figuratively) To daresay.
    • I'll wager that Johnson knows something about all this.
    Synonyms
    * (to daresay) lay odds

    Etymology 2

    From the verb, to wage + .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Agent noun of wage; one who wages.
  • * 1912 , Pocumtack Valley Memorial Association, History and Proceedings of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association , p. 65:
    • They were wagers of warfare against the wilderness and the Indians, and founders of families and towns.
  • * 1957 , Elsa Maxwell, How to Do It; Or, The Lively Art of Entertaining , p. 7:
    • Hatshepsut was no wager of wars, no bloodstained conqueror.
    English agent nouns