keen 1. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

keen¹

PRONUNCIATION:	kn
ADJECTIVE:	Inflected forms: keen·er, keen·est 1. Having a fine, sharp cutting edge or point. 2. Having or marked by intellectual quickness and acuity. See synonyms at sharp. 3. Acutely sensitive: a keen ear. 4. Sharp; vivid; strong: “His entire body hungered for keen sensation, something exciting” (Richard Wright). 5. Intense; piercing: a keen wind. 6. Pungent; acrid: A keen smell of skunk was left behind. 7a. Ardent; enthusiastic: a keen chess player. b. Eagerly desirous: keen on going to Europe in the spring. 8. Slang Great; splendid; fine: What a keen day!
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English kene, from Old English cne, brave.
OTHER FORMS:	keenly —ADVERB keenness —NOUN


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.