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close¹ Definition

close (klōs)

adjective clos′er, clos′·est

Etymology: ME clos < OFr < L clausus, pp. of claudere (see close); senses under II from notion “with spaces or intervals closed up”

adverb clos′er, clos′·est

in a close manner

close¹ Related Forms
close′ly adverb close′·ness noun
close¹ Idioms

close to the wind

  1. Naut. heading as closely as possible in the direction from which the wind is blowing
  2. barely avoiding what is unlawful
close² Definition

close (klōz)

transitive verb closed, clos′·ing

  1. to move (a door, lid, etc.) to a position that covers the opening; shut
  2. to bar entrance to or exit from to close a street
  3. to fill up or stop (an opening)
  4. to draw the edges of together to close an incision
  5. to clench (a fist)
  6. to bind together; unite to close forces
  7. to bring to an end; finish
  8. to stop or suspend the operation of (a school, business, etc.)
  9. to complete or make final (a sale, agreement, etc.)
  10. to make stubbornly resistant to close one's mind

Etymology: ME closen < OFr clos-, stem of clore < L claudere, to close, block up < IE base *klēu, klāu-, hook, crooked or forked branch, close with a hook or bar > slot, lot, Gr kleistos, closed, L clavis, key, clavus, nail, OIr clo, nail, Ger schliessen, to lock

intransitive verb

  1. to undergo shutting the door closes quietly
  2. to come to an end
    1. to end or suspend operations the store closes at noon
    2. in the stock exchange, to show an indicated price level at the day's end steel closed high
  4. to have its edges become joined together the wound has closed
  5. to come together
  6. to take hold her hand closed on the package
  7. to throng closely together his friends closed about him
  8. to lessen an intervening distance; gain closing on the leading runner
  9. to make contact or come close, as in order to begin fighting
  10. to arrive at an agreement

noun

  1. a closing or being closed
  2. the final part or conclusion; end
  3. Archaic a hand-to-hand encounter

close² Idioms

close down

  1. ☆ to shut or stop entirely
  2. ☆ to settle down (on), as darkness or a fog

close in

to draw near from various directions, cutting off escape on all sides; surround

close out

☆

to dispose of (goods) by sale, as in ending a business

close round

to encircle; surround

close up

  1. to draw nearer together
  2. to shut or stop up entirely
  3. to heal, as a wound does
close³ Definition

close (klōs)

noun

  1. an enclosed place, as a farmyard
  2. enclosed grounds around or beside a building a cathedral close
  3. a narrow street or passageway; also, a dead-end street

Etymology: ME clos < OFr < L clausum, orig., neut. pp. of claudere: see close

close Synonyms

close

modif.

  1. Near

    neighboring, nearby, adjacent, around the corner; see approaching, imminent, near 1.

  2. Intimate

    familiar, dear, close-knit, confidential; see friendly 1, intimate 1, private.

  3. Compact

    dense, solid, compressed; see thick 1.

  4. Stingy

    narrow, parsimonious, niggardly; see stingy.

  5. Stifling

    sticky, stuffy, unventilated, heavy, motionless, fusty, uncomfortable, choky, stale-smelling, musty, stagnant, moldy, confined, suffocating, sultry, sweltering, sweltry, tight, stale, oppressive, breathless.

    Antonyms fresh*, refreshing, brisk.

  6. Confining

    confined, cramped, restricted; see confining, narrow 1.

  7. Similar

    resembling, having common qualities, much the same; see alike 2, like. See syn. study at familiar, stingy, thick.

close Synonyms

close

n.

termination, adjournment, ending, conclusion; see end 2.

close Synonyms

close

v.

  1. To put a stop to

    conclude, finish, terminate; see end 1.

  2. To put a stopper into

    shut, stop, stopper, choke off, occlude, stuff, clog, fill, calk, prevent passage, retard flow, shut off, turn off, lock, block, bar, dam, cork, seal, seal off, button; see also plug.

    Antonyms open, uncork, unseal.

  3. To come or bring together

    meet, unite, coalesce, chain, connect, tie, bind, fuse, join, enclose, put together; see also join 1.

    Antonyms disconnect, separate*, untie.

  4. To shut

    slam, close down, close up, shut down, shut up, seal, fasten, secure, lock, bolt, clench, bar, shutter, clap, bring to, suspend operations, cease operations, go out of business, fold*.

  5. To arrive at an agreement

    settle, complete a deal, consummate, clinch; see achieve 1, agree, decide. See syn. study at end.

close Law Definition

n

An enclosed place or tract of land.

n

The visible boundary around an enclosed place or tract of land, consisting of a fence, hedge, wall, or similar structure, or the invisible boundary around an unenclosed place or tract of land. The boundary is “broken” if anyone crosses the boundary without permission or an invitation from the land’s owner. See also breach.

n

The legal interest of one who owns a particular piece of enclosed or unenclosed land.

v

To consummate, conclude, or bring to an end, especially a discussion or negotiation. See also closing.
close Usage Examples

Object

  • gap: Perry was soon past into 2nd place and immediately began to close the gap on Davis.
  • date: Closing date for both posts is the 24 th December 2004.
  • door: Turn the ignition off, and close the doors and rear hatch.
  • loophole: The law is currently undergoing revision to close a rather strange loophole.
  • window: Click on the OK button to close the Bibliographic data window.

Converse of object

  • locate: Both are centrally located close to the Frejus lift.

Preposition: at

  • midnight: But decide quickly- lines close at midnight on Tuesday 23rd May.

Adjective modifier

  • located: So we stopped into the Turks Head located close to the ruins.

Modifies a noun

  • proximity: ICT businesses need flexible working space in close proximity to research partners.
  • friend: A close friend of Stephen would be a marked man in the city.
  • collaboration: Projects will be assigned in close collaboration with industrial partners.
  • relationship: The section clearly has a close relationship to the power of a court to punish for contempt.
  • ty: Mercifully the suggestion that a move toward the heart of the academy is inconsistent with close ties to the legal profession is quite unfounded.
  • relative: Visiting We allow close relatives of patients to visit 24 hours a day.

Used with adjective complement

  • come: Perhaps only Richard Hawley, when he's debating the finer points of local planning policy, comes close.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • down: Theaters were closed down to stop the disease spreading among the tightly packed audiences.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • down: They remained close down the reach, with both crews desperate to win.

Possessives

  • choosing: You can close a heading by selecting it again, or by choosing ' close ' at the bottom of each section.

Infinitive complement

  • zero: For the angles, put your rear foot on at as close to zero as you can without having toe over hang.

Preposition: for

  • refurbishment: When that pub closed for refurbishment we made a successful move to the other pub.
close Quotes

I have met them at close of day Coming with vivid faces From counter or desk among grey Eighteenth-century houses.

—Yeats,W(illiam) B(utler)

Close the playand keep the store open nights.

—Kaufman, George S(imon)

The longest day must have its close,öthe gloomiest night will wear on to a morning. An eternal, inexorable lapse of moments is ever hurrying the day of the evil to aneternal night, andthenightofthejusttoaneternalday.

—Stowe, Harriet (Elizabeth) ne¤  e Beecher

Die Szenen unsers Lebens gleichen den Bildern in groÞer Mosaik, welche in der N a« he keineWirkung tun, sondern von denen man fern stehn muss, um sie sch o« n zu finden. Thescenes ofour liferesemble picturesinrough mosaic; theyareineffective fromcloseup, and havetobe viewed from a distance if theyare to seem beautiful.

—Schopenhauer, Arthur

With lack of sleep and too much understanding I grow a little crazy,Ithink, likeall menat seawho livetoo closeto each other and too close thereby to all that is monstrous under the sun and moon.

—Golding, Sir William (Gerald)

A tale should be judicious, clear, succinct; The language plain, and incidents well linked; Tell not as new what ev'ry body knows, And new or old, still hasten to a close.

—Cowper,William