close

—closable, closeable /kloh"zeuh beuhl/, adj. —closely /klohs"lee/, adv. —closeness /klohs"nis/, n.

v. /klohz/; adj., adv. /klohs/ or, for 56, /klohz/; n. /klohz/ for 66, 67, 70-72, 74, 75, /klohs/ for 68, 69, 73, v., closed, closing, adj., closer, closest, adv., n.

v.t.

1. to put (something) in a position to obstruct an entrance, opening, etc.; shut.

2. to stop or obstruct (a gap, entrance, aperture, etc.): to close a hole in a wall with plaster.

3. to block or hinder passage across or access to: to close a border to tourists; to close the woods to picnickers.

4. to stop or obstruct the entrances, apertures, or gaps in: He closed the crate and tied it up.

5. (of the mind) to make imperceptive or inaccessible: to close one's mind to the opposite opinion.

6. to bring together the parts of; join; unite (often fol. by up): Close up those ranks! The surgeon closed the incision.

7. Elect. to complete (an electrical circuit) by joining the circuit elements: The circuit was closed so the current could be measured.

8. to bring to an end: to close a debate.

9. to arrange the final details of; to conclude negotiations about: to close a deal to everyone's satisfaction.

10. to complete or settle (a contract or transaction); consummate: We close the sale of the house next week.

11. to stop rendering the customary services of: to close a store for the night.

12. to terminate or suspend the operation of; to halt the activities of: The epidemic forced authorities to close the schools. The police closed the bar for selling liquor to minors.

13. Naut. to come close to: We closed the cruiser to put our injured captain on board.

14. Metalworking. to reduce the internal diameter of (a tube or the like).

15. Archaic. to shut in or surround on all sides; enclose; cover in: to close a bird in a cage.

v.i.

16. to become closed; shut: The door closed with a bang. This window is stuck and will not close tight.

17. to come together; unite: Her lips closed firmly.

18. to come close: His pursuers closed rapidly.

19. to grapple; engage in close encounter (often fol. by with): We closed with the invaders shortly before sundown.

20. to come to an end; terminate: The service closed with a hymn.

21. to cease to offer the customary activities or services: The school closed for the summer.

22. to enter into or reach an agreement, usually as a contract: The builder closed with the contractor after negotiations.

23. (of a theatrical production) to cease to be performed: The play closed in New York yesterday and will open in Dallas next week.

24. (of a stock, group of stocks, etc.) to be priced or show a change in price as specified at the end of a trading period: The market closed low for the fourth straight day.

25. close down,

a. to terminate the operation of; discontinue: to close down an air base because of budget cuts.

b. to attempt to control or eliminate: The city must close down drug traffic.

26. close in on or upon,

a. to approach so as to capture, attack, arrest, etc.: The hoodlums closed in on their victim.

b. to surround or envelop so as to entrap: a feeling that the room was closing in upon her.

27. close out,

a. to reduce the price of (merchandise) for quick sale: That store is closing out its stock of men's clothing.

b. to liquidate or dispose of finally and completely: They closed out their interests after many years in this city.

28. close ranks, to unite forces, esp. by overlooking petty differences, in order to deal with an adverse or challenging situation; to join together in a show of unity, esp. to the public: When the newspaper story broke suggesting possible corruption in the government, the politicians all closed ranks.

29. close up,

a. to come together in close array; converge: The enemy was closing up on us from both flanks.

b. to bring to an end; cease: The company is closing up its overseas operations.

c. to become silent or uncommunicative.

d. to reduce or eliminate spacing material between (units of set type).

adj.

30. having the parts or elements near to one another: a close formation of battleships.

31. compact; dense: a close texture; a close weave.

32. being in or having proximity in space or time: The barn is so close to the house that you can hear the animals. His birthday is in May, close to mine.

33. marked by similarity in degree, action, feeling, etc.: This dark pink is close to red. He left her close to tears.

34. near, or near together, in kind or relationship: a flower close to a rose; a close relative.

35. intimate or confidential; dear.

36. based on a strong uniting feeling of respect, honor, or love: a close circle of friends.

37. fitting tightly: a close, clinging negligee.

38. (of a haircut or shave, the mowing of a lawn, etc.) so executed that the hair, grass, or the like is left flush with the surface or very short.

39. not deviating from the subject under consideration.

40. strict; searching; minute: The matter requires close investigation.

41. not deviating from a model or original: a close, literal translation.

42. nearly even or equal: a close contest.

43. strictly logical: close reasoning.

44. shut; shut tight; not open: a close hatch.

45. shut in; enclosed.

46. completely enclosing or surrounding: a close siege preventing all escape.

47. without opening; with all openings covered or closed.

48. confined; narrow: close quarters.

49. lacking fresh or freely circulating air: a hot, close room.

50. heavy; oppressive: a spell of close, sultry weather.

51. narrowly confined, as a prisoner.

52. practicing or keeping secrecy; secretive; reticent: She is so close that you can tell her all your secrets.

53. parsimonious; stingy: He is very close with his money.

54. scarce, as money.

55. not open to public or general admission, competition, etc.: The entire parish participated in the close communication.

56. (of a delimiting punctuation mark) occurring at the end of a group of words or characters that is set off, as from surrounding text: close parentheses; close quotes; close brackets. Cf. open (def. 32).

57. Hunting, Angling. closed (def. 8).

58. Phonet. (of a vowel) articulated with a relatively small opening between the tongue and the roof of the mouth. Cf. high (def. 23), open (def. 34a).

59. Heraldry. (of a bird) represented as having folded wings: an eagle close.

60. Archaic. viscous; not volatile.

adv.

61. in a close manner; closely.

62. near; close by.

63. Heraldry. immediately behind the ears, so as to show no neck: a bear's head couped close.

64. close to the wind, Naut. in a direction nearly opposite to that from which the wind is coming: to sail close to the wind.

65. close up,

a. from close range; in a detailed manner; intimately.

b. Naut. fully raised; at the top of the halyard: an answering pennant flown close up. Cf. dip (def. 37).

n.

66. the act of closing.

67. the end or conclusion: at the close of day; the close of the speech.

68. an enclosed place or enclosure, esp. one about or beside a cathedral or other building.

69. any piece of land held as private property.

70. See complimentary close.

71. Music. cadence (def. 7).

72. Stock Exchange.

a. the closing price on a stock.

b. the closing prices on an exchange market.

73. Scot.

a. a narrow entry or alley terminating in a dead end.

b. a courtyard enclosed except for one narrow entrance.

74. Archaic. a junction; union.

75. Obs. a close encounter; a grapple: The fighters met in a fierce close.

[bef. 1050; (n., adj.) ME clos < AF, OF < L clausus, ptp. of claudere to close (cf. CLAUSE); (v.) ME closen, v. deriv. of the adj. (cf. OE clysan, beclysan to shut in, enclose, v. deriv. of cluse bar, enclosure < ML clusa, for L clausa, fem. of clausus); n. and adj. senses with voiced pron. of s are presumably modern deverbal derivatives]

Syn. 2. bar; clog; choke. CLOSE, SHUT mean to cause something not to be open. CLOSE suggests blocking an opening or vacant place: to close a breach in a wall. The word SHUT refers esp. to blocking or barring openings intended for entering and leaving: to shut a door, gate, etc., and CLOSE can be used in this sense, too: to close a door, gate, etc. 8. complete, end, conclude, terminate, finish. 21. stop; suspend. 31. firm, solid. 32. immediate, proximate, nearby. 40. intent, concentrated. 41. scrupulous, exacting, accurate, faithful. 50. muggy, thick. 52. taciturn, uncommunicative, reserved. 53. penurious, miserly, tight, mean. See stingy. 66. See end¹.

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