adjective closer clos′er, closest clos′·est

1. shut; not open enclosed or enclosing; shut in confined or confining; narrow close quarters carefully guarded close custody shut away from observation; hidden; secluded secretive; reserved; reticent miserly; stingy restricted, as in membership oppressively warm and stuffy: said of the weather, atmosphere, etc. not readily available credit is closePhonet. articulated with the tongue relatively high in the mouth, near the palate: said of certain vowels, as the (ē) in eat
2. with little space between; with the intervening space closing or closed up; near together having parts or elements near together; compact; dense close marching order, close weave fitting tightly a close coat
   1. down or near to the surface on which something grows; very short a close shave
   2. not far away; nearby a close neighbor
   near in interests, affection, etc.; intimate; familiar a close friend varying little from the original or model a close translation strict; thorough; careful a close search compactly expressed; concise a close description accurate; logical; precise close reasoning nearly equal or alike close in age difficult to resolve or uncertain in outcome a close decision

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

adverb closer clos′er, closest clos′·est

transitive verb closed, closing 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
3. 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

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