Main Entry: ⁴close

Pronunciation: \ˈklōs\

Function: adjective

Inflected Form(s): clos·er; clos·est

Etymology: Middle English clos, from Anglo-French, from Latin clausus, past participle of claudere

Date: 14th century

1 : having no openings : closed
2 a : confined or carefully guarded <close arrest> b (1) of a vowel : high 13 (2) : formed with the tongue in a higher position than for the other vowel of a pair
3 : restricted to a privileged class
4 a : secluded, secret b : secretive <she could tell us something if she would…but she was as close as wax — A. Conan Doyle>
5 : strict, rigorous <keep close watch>
6 : hot and stuffy <a room with an uncomfortably close atmosphere>
7 : not generous in giving or spending : tight
8 : having little space between items or units <a close weave> <a close grain>
9 a : fitting tightly or exactly <a close fit> b : very short or near to the surface <a close haircut>
10 : being near in time, space, effect, or degree <at close range> <close to my birthday> <close to the speed of sound>
11 : intimate, familiar <close friends>
12 a : very precise and attentive to details <a close reading> <a close study> b : marked by fidelity to an original <a close copy of an old master> c : terse, compact
13 : decided or won by a narrow margin <a close baseball game>
14 : difficult to obtain <money is close>
15 of punctuation : characterized by liberal use especially of commas

synonyms see stingy

— close·ly adverb

— close·ness noun

— close to home : within one's personal interests so that one is strongly affected <the speaker's remarks hit close to home>

— close to the bone : within a sensitive or personal area <the criticism cut close to the bone>

— close to the vest : in a reserved or cautious manner