keb
C2 (Rare/Obsolete/Historical)Historical, Obsolete, Dialectal (Scottish/Northern English), Specialized (Falconry)
Definition
Meaning
An archaic/Scottish verb meaning to cast off young prematurely, especially in sheep. Historically, to reject a lamb or kid, causing its death. Also used as an exclamation in falconry to call down a hawk.
In modern rare/obsolete use, can refer to any act of rejecting or discarding something; to disfigure or mar by a blow; to misbehave, become vicious.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily historical. In falconry, the exclamation 'keb!' or 'keb, keb!' was used to bring a hawk down from a height. The verb sense of 'reject offspring' is now only found in historical texts or dialect glossaries.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term has stronger historical roots in UK dialects, particularly Scottish and Northern English. It is virtually unknown in American English outside historical texts or academic contexts. The falconry usage is historically European/British.
Connotations
In British dialectal history, it connotes agricultural hardship and cruelty (rejecting lambs). As a falconry call, it is a technical command. In America, if encountered, it is purely a historical or obscure lexical item.
Frequency
Essentially zero frequency in contemporary usage for both. Slightly higher chance of being encountered in UK historical or regional literature.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Subject (animal/mother) + keb + Object (offspring)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Keb, keb! (command to a hawk)”
Usage
Context Usage
Academic
Found in studies of historical agriculture, dialectology, or falconry.
Everyday
Not used in contemporary everyday English.
Technical
Historical/obsolete technical term in animal husbandry and falconry.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The old ewe would often keb her first lamb.
- He warned that stress could cause a goat to keb its kid.
American English
- (Historical) The settler's journal noted a ewe that kebbed its twin.
adjective
British English
- (Rare) A keb lamb was a sad sight in the spring fold.
- (Obsolete) He suffered a keb blow to his reputation.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The word 'keb' is an old farming term you might find in historical novels.
- In falconry, a handler might shout 'Keb!' to call the bird down.
- The dialect survey recorded the verb 'to keb', meaning for a ewe to reject its offspring, still understood by some older farmers in the Borders.
- The archival manual on animal husbandry described the tragic phenomenon of a 'kebbing ewe'.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: A KEB is a cruel EWE BEing a bad mother, casting off its lamb.
Conceptual Metaphor
REJECTION IS CASTING OFF (PHYSICAL DISCARDING); COMMAND IS A SHARP SOUND.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'cab' (кэб) or 'cab' (такси).
- No direct equivalent. Translates conceptually as 'бросить/отвергнуть (детеныша)'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a contemporary verb.
- Spelling as 'cab' or 'kep'.
- Assuming it is a noun.
Practice
Quiz
In which specialised historical context was 'keb' used as a command?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered archaic, obsolete, or dialectal. It is only encountered in historical texts, dialect studies, or specialised discussions of falconry.
Its primary historical meaning is for a mother animal (especially a sheep or goat) to reject its newborn young, leading to the offspring's death.
It is primarily recorded as a verb. While related terms like 'kebber' (a ewe that kebs) exist, 'keb' itself is not standardly a noun in modern English.
For practical, everyday communication, they would not. It is useful only for advanced learners interested in historical literature, dialectology, or the history of the English language.