Definition: close
Source: WordNet (r) 1.7
close
adj 1: at or within a short distance in space or time or having
elements near each other; "close to noon"; "how close
are we to town?"; "a close formation of ships" [ant: distant]
2: close in relevance or relationship; "a close family"; "we
are all...in close sympathy with..."; "close kin"; "a
close resemblance" [ant: distant]
3: not far distant in time or space or degree or circumstances;
"near neighbors"; "in the near future"; "they are near
equals"; "his nearest approach to success"; "a very near
thing"; "a near hit by the bomb"; "she was near tears";
"she was close to tears"; "had a close call" [syn: near]
[ant: far]
4: rigorously attentive; strict and thorough; "close
supervision"; "paid close attention"; "a close study";
"kept a close watch on expenditures"
5: marked by fidelity to an original; "a close translation"; "a
faithful copy of the portrait"; "a faithful rendering of
the observed facts" [syn: faithful]
6: (of a contest or contestants) evenly matched; "a close
contest"; "a close election"; "a tight game" [syn: tight]
7: crowded; "close quarters" [syn: confining]
8: lacking fresh air; "a dusty airless attic"; "the dreadfully
close atmosphere"; "hot and stuffy and the air was blue
with smoke" [syn: airless, stuffy, unaired]
9: of textiles; "a close weave"; "smooth percale with a very
tight weave" [syn: tight]
10: strictly confined or guarded; "kept under close custody"
11: confined to specific persons; "a close secret"
12: fitting closely but comfortably; "a close fit" [syn: snug,
close-fitting]
13: used of hair or haircuts; "a close military haircut"
14: giving or spending with reluctance; "our cheeseparing
administration"; "very close (or near) with his money";
"a penny-pinching miserly old man" [syn: cheeseparing,
near, penny-pinching]
15: inclined to secrecy or reticence about divulging
information; "although they knew her whereabouts her
friends kept close about it" [syn: closelipped, closemouthed,
secretive, tightlipped]
n 1: the temporal end; the concluding time; "the stopping point
of each round was signaled by a bell"; "the market was
up at the finish"; "they were playing better at the
close of the season" [syn: stopping point, finale, finis,
finish, last, conclusion]
2: the last section of a communication; "in conclusion I want
to say..." [syn: conclusion, end, closing, ending]
3: the concluding part of any performance [syn: finale, closing
curtain, finis]
adv 1: near in time or place or relationship; "as the wedding day
drew near"; "stood near the door"; "don't shoot until
they come near"; "getting near to the true
explanation"; "her mother is always near"; "The end
draws nigh"; "the bullet didn't come close"; "don't
get too close to the fire" [syn: near, nigh]
2: in an attentive manner; "he remained close on his guard"
[syn: closely, tight]
v 1: cease to operate or cause to cease operating; "The owners
decided to move and to close the factory"; "My business
closes every night at 8 P.M. [syn: fold, shut down,
close down] [ant: open]
2: complete a business deal, negotiation, or an agreement; "We
closed on the house on Friday"; "They closed the deal on
the building"
3: move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut;
"Close the door"; "shut the window" [syn: shut] [ant: open]
4: bar access to; "Due to the accident, the road had to be
closed for several hours"
5: finish or terminate; of meetings, speeches, etc. "The
meeting was closed with a charge by the chairman of the
board" [ant: open]
6: draw near: "The probe closed with the space station"
7: come to a close; "The concert closed with a nocturne by
Chopin"
8: become closed; "The windows closed with a loud bang" [syn: shut]
[ant: open]
9: come together, as if in an embrace; "Her arms closed around
her long lost relative" [syn: come together]
10: unite or bring into contact or bring together the edges of;
"close the circuit"; "close a wound"
11: bring together all the elements or parts of: "Management
closed ranks"
12: engage at close quarters; "close with the enemy"
13: cause a window or an application to disappear on a computer
desktop [ant: open]
14: fill or stop up; "Can you close the cracks with caulking?"
[syn: fill, fill up]
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Close \Close\, v. i.
1. To come together; to unite or coalesce, as the parts of a
wound, or parts separated.
What deep wounds ever closed without a scar?
--Byron.
2. To end, terminate, or come to a period; as, the debate
closed at six o'clock.
3. To grapple; to engage in hand-to-hand fight.
They boldly closed in a hand-to-hand contest.
--Prescott.
To close on or upon, to come to a mutual agreement; to
agree on or join in. ``Would induce France and Holland to
close upon some measures between them to our
disadvantage.'' --Sir W. Temple.
To close with.
(a) To accede to; to consent or agree to; as, to close
with the terms proposed.
(b) To make an agreement with.
To close with the land (Naut.), to approach the land.
Close \Close\ (? or ?), n. [OF. & F. clos an inclosure, fr.
clos, p. p. of clore. See Close, v. t.]
1. An inclosed place; especially, a small field or piece of
land surrounded by a wall, hedge, or fence of any kind; --
specifically, the precinct of a cathedral or abbey.
Closes surrounded by the venerable abodes of deans
and canons. --Macaulay.
2. A narrow passage leading from a street to a court, and the
houses within. [Eng.] --Halliwell
3. (Law) The interest which one may have in a piece of
ground, even though it is not inclosed. --Bouvier.
Close \Close\, a. [Compar. Closer; superl. Closest.] [Of. & F. clos, p. p. of clore. See Close, v. t.] 1. Shut fast; closed; tight; as, a close box. From a close bower this dainty music flowed. --Dryden. 2. Narrow; confined; as, a close alley; close quarters. ``A close prison.'' --Dickens. 3. Oppressive; without motion or ventilation; causing a feeling of lassitude; -- said of the air, weather, etc. If the rooms be low-roofed, or full of windows and doors, the one maketh the air close, . . . and the other maketh it exceeding unequal. --Bacon. 4. Strictly confined; carefully quarded; as, a close prisoner. 5. Out of the way observation; secluded; secret; hidden. ``He yet kept himself close because of Saul.'' --1 Chron. xii. 1 ``Her close intent.'' --Spenser. 6. Disposed to keep secrets; secretive; reticent. ``For servecy, no lady closer.'' --Shak. 7. Having the parts near each other; dense; solid; compact; as applied to bodies; viscous; tenacious; not volatile, as applied to liquids. The golden globe being put into a press, . . . the water made itself way through the pores of that very close metal. --Locke. 8. Concise; to the point; as, close reasoning. ``Where the original is close no version can reach it in the same compass.'' --Dryden. 9. Adjoining; near; either in space; time, or thought; -- often followed by to. Plant the spring crocuses close to a wall. --Mortimer. The thought of the Man of sorrows seemed a very close thing -- not a faint hearsay. --G. Eliot. 10. Short; as, to cut grass or hair close. 11. Intimate; familiar; confidential. League with you I seek And mutual amity, so strait, so close, That I with you must dwell, or you with me. --Milton. 12. Nearly equal; almost evenly balanced; as, a close vote. ``A close contest.'' --Prescott. 13. Difficult to obtain; as, money is close. --Bartlett. 14. Parsimonious; stingy. ``A crusty old fellow, as close as a vise.'' --Hawthorne. 15. Adhering strictly to a standard or original; exact; strict; as, a close translation. --Locke. 16. Accurate; careful; precise; also, attentive; undeviating; strict; not wandering; as, a close observer. 17. (Phon.) Uttered with a relatively contracted opening of the mouth, as certain sounds of e and o in French, Italian, and German; -- opposed to open. Close borough. See under Borough. Close breeding. See under Breeding. Close communion, communion in the Lord's supper, restricted to those who have received baptism by immersion. Close corporation, a body or corporation which fills its own vacancies. Close fertilization. (Bot.) See Fertilization. Close harmony (Mus.), compact harmony, in which the tones composing each chord are not widely distributed over several octaves. Close time, a fixed period during which killing game or catching certain fish is prohibited by law. Close vowel (Pron.), a vowel which is pronounced with a diminished aperture of the lips, or with contraction of the cavity of the mouth. Close to the wind (Naut.), directed as nearly to the point from which the wind blows as it is possible to sail; closehauled; -- said of a vessel.
Close \Close\, n.
1. The manner of shutting; the union of parts; junction.
[Obs.]
The doors of plank were; their close exquisite.
--Chapman.
2. Conclusion; cessation; ending; end.
His long and troubled life was drawing to a close.
--Macaulay.
3. A grapple in wrestling. --Bacon.
4. (Mus.)
(a) The conclusion of a strain of music; cadence.
(b) A double bar marking the end.
At every close she made, the attending throng
Replied, and bore the burden of the song.
--Dryden.
Syn: Conclusion; termination; cessation; end; ending;
extremity; extreme.
Close \Close\, adv.
1. In a close manner.
2. Secretly; darkly. [Obs.]
A wondrous vision which did close imply The course
of all her fortune and posterity. --Spenser.
Close \Close\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Closed; p. pr. & vb. n. Closing.] [From OF. & F. clos, p. p. of clore to close, fr. L. claudere; akin to G. schliessen to shut, and to E. clot, cloister, clavicle, conclude, sluice. Cf. Clause, n.] 1. To stop, or fill up, as an opening; to shut; as, to close the eyes; to close a door. 2. To bring together the parts of; to consolidate; as, to close the ranks of an army; -- often used with up. 3. To bring to an end or period; to conclude; to complete; to finish; to end; to consummate; as, to close a bargain; to close a course of instruction. One frugal supper did our studies close. --Dryden. 4. To come or gather around; to inclose; to encompass; to confine. The depth closed me round about. --Jonah ii. 5. But now thou dost thyself immure and close In some one corner of a feeble heart. --Herbert. A closed sea, a sea within the jurisdiction of some particular nation, which controls its navigation.
Source: THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993)
CLOSE-:FISTED:, adj. Unduly desirous of keeping that which many
meritorious persons wish to obtain.
"Close-fisted Scotchman!" Johnson cried
To thrifty J. Macpherson;
"See me -- I'm ready to divide
With any worthy person."
Sad Jamie: "That is very true --
The boast requires no backing;
And all are worthy, sir, to you,
Who have what you are lacking."
Anita M. Bobe
