dictionary definitions for "close"


From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:

  close
      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, close]
      2: in an attentive manner; "he remained close on his guard"
         [syn: close, closely, tight]
      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, remote]
      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,
         close, nigh] [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: close, faithful]
      6: (of a contest or contestants) evenly matched; "a close
         contest"; "a close election"; "a tight game" [syn: close,
         tight]
      7: crowded; "close quarters" [syn: close, 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, close, stuffy, unaired]
      9: of textiles; "a close weave"; "smooth percale with a very
         tight weave" [syn: close, 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:
          close, 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,
          close, near, penny-pinching, skinny]
      15: inclined to secrecy or reticence about divulging
          information; "although they knew her whereabouts her friends
          kept close about it" [syn: close, 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, close]
      2: the last section of a communication; "in conclusion I want to
         say..." [syn: conclusion, end, close, closing,
         ending]
      3: the concluding part of any performance [syn: finale,
         close, closing curtain, finis]
      v 1: move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make
           shut; "Close the door"; "shut the window" [syn: close,
           shut] [ant: open, open up]
      2: become closed; "The windows closed with a loud bang" [syn:
         close, shut] [ant: open, open up]
      3: 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."; "close up the shop" [syn:
         close up, close, fold, shut down, close down] [ant:
         open, open up]
      4: finish or terminate (meetings, speeches, etc.); "The meeting
         was closed with a charge by the chairman of the board" [ant:
         open]
      5: come to a close; "The concert closed with a nocturne by
         Chopin" [syn: conclude, close]
      6: complete a business deal, negotiation, or an agreement; "We
         closed on the house on Friday"; "They closed the deal on the
         building"
      7: be priced or listed when trading stops; "The stock market
         closed high this Friday"; "My new stocks closed at $59 last
         night"
      8: engage at close quarters; "close with the enemy"
      9: cause a window or an application to disappear on a computer
         desktop [ant: open]
      10: change one's body stance so that the forward shoulder and
          foot are closer to the intended point of impact
      11: come together, as if in an embrace; "Her arms closed around
          her long lost relative" [syn: close, come together]
      12: draw near; "The probe closed with the space station"
      13: bring together all the elements or parts of; "Management
          closed ranks"
      14: bar access to; "Due to the accident, the road had to be
          closed for several hours"
      15: fill or stop up; "Can you close the cracks with caulking?"
          [syn: close, fill up]
      16: unite or bring into contact or bring together the edges of;
          "close the circuit"; "close a wound"; "close a book"; "close
          up an umbrella" [syn: close up, close]
      17: finish a game in baseball by protecting a lead; "The relief
          pitcher closed with two runs in the second inning"

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Close \Close\, v. i.
     1. To come together; to unite or coalesce, as the parts of a
        wound, or parts separated.
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              What deep wounds ever closed without a scar?
                                                    --Byron.
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     2. To end, terminate, or come to a period; as, the debate
        closed at six o'clock.
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     3. To grapple; to engage in hand-to-hand fight.
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              They boldly closed in a hand-to-hand contest.
                                                    --Prescott.
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     To close on or To close 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.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Close \Close\ (kl[=o]z), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Closed
     (kl[=o]zd); 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.
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     2. To bring together the parts of; to consolidate; as, to
        close the ranks of an army; -- often used with up.
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     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.
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              One frugal supper did our studies close. --Dryden.
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     4. To come or gather around; to inclose; to encompass; to
        confine.
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              The depth closed me round about.      --Jonah ii. 5.
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              But now thou dost thyself immure and close
              In some one corner of a feeble heart. --Herbert.
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     A closed sea, a sea within the jurisdiction of some
        particular nation, which controls its navigation.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
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              Closes surrounded by the venerable abodes of deans
              and canons.                           --Macaulay.
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     2. A narrow passage leading from a street to a court, and the
        houses within. [Eng.] --Halliwell
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     3. (Law) The interest which one may have in a piece of
        ground, even though it is not inclosed. --Bouvier.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Close \Close\, n.
     1. The manner of shutting; the union of parts; junction.
        [Obs.]
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              The doors of plank were; their close exquisite.
                                                    --Chapman.
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     2. Conclusion; cessation; ending; end.
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              His long and troubled life was drawing to a close.
                                                    --Macaulay.
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     3. A grapple in wrestling. --Bacon.
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     4. (Mus.)
        (a) The conclusion of a strain of music; cadence.
        (b) A double bar marking the end.
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                  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.
          [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Close \Close\ (kl[=o]s), a. [Compar. Closer (kl[=o]"s[~e]r);
     superl. Closest.] [Of. & F. clos, p. p. of clore. See
     Close, v. t.]
     1. Shut fast; closed; tight; as, a close box.
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              From a close bower this dainty music flowed.
                                                    --Dryden.
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     2. Narrow; confined; as, a close alley; close quarters. "A
        close prison." --Dickens.
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     3. Oppressive; without motion or ventilation; causing a
        feeling of lassitude; -- said of the air, weather, etc.
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              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.
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     4. Strictly confined; carefully quarded; as, a close
        prisoner.
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     5. Out of the way observation; secluded; secret; hidden. "He
        yet kept himself close because of Saul." --1 Chron. xii. 1
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              "Her close intent."                   --Spenser.
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     6. Disposed to keep secrets; secretive; reticent. "For
        secrecy, no lady closer." --Shak.
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     7. Having the parts near each other; dense; solid; compact;
        as applied to bodies; viscous; tenacious; not volatile, as
        applied to liquids.
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              The golden globe being put into a press, . . . the
              water made itself way through the pores of that very
              close metal.                          --Locke.
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     8. Concise; to the point; as, close reasoning. "Where the
        original is close no version can reach it in the same
        compass." --Dryden.
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     9. Adjoining; near; either in space; time, or thought; --
        often followed by to.
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              Plant the spring crocuses close to a wall.
                                                    --Mortimer.
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              The thought of the Man of sorrows seemed a very
              close thing -- not a faint hearsay.   --G. Eliot.
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     10. Short; as, to cut grass or hair close.
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     11. Intimate; familiar; confidential.
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               League with you I seek
               And mutual amity, so strait, so close,
               That I with you must dwell, or you with me.
                                                    --Milton.
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     12. Nearly equal; almost evenly balanced; as, a close vote.
         "A close contest." --Prescott.
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     13. Difficult to obtain; as, money is close. --Bartlett.
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     14. Parsimonious; stingy. "A crusty old fellow, as close as a
         vise." --Hawthorne.
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     15. Adhering strictly to a standard or original; exact;
         strict; as, a close translation. --Locke.
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     16. Accurate; careful; precise; also, attentive; undeviating;
         strict; not wandering; as, a close observer.
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     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.
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     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.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Close \Close\ (kl[=o]s), adv.
     1. In a close manner.
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     2. Secretly; darkly. [Obs.]
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              A wondrous vision which did close imply
              The course of all her fortune and posterity.
                                                    --Spenser.
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