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 : closed2 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 pair3: restricted to a privileged class4 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 : tight8: 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, compact13: decided or won by a narrow margin <a close baseball game>14: difficult to obtain <money is close>15of 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