Close — Defs

01 v. t. To stop, or fill up, as an opening; to shut; as, to close the eyes; to close a door.

imp. & p. p. Closed; p. pr. & vb. n. Closing

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.

Phrases & compounds

A closed sea — a sea within the jurisdiction of some particular nation, which controls its navigation.

02 v. i. To come together; to unite or coalesce, as the parts of a wound, or parts separated.

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.

Phrases & compounds

To close on — to come to a mutual agreement; to agree on or join in.

To close with — To accede to; to consent or agree to; as, to close with the terms proposed.

To close with the land — to approach the land.

03 n. The manner of shutting; the union of parts; junction.

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.
4.
The conclusion of a strain of music; cadence.(Mus.)
“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.

04 n. An inclosed place; especially, a small field or piece of land surrounded by a wall, hedge, or fence of any kind; -- specifically, the preci…

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.]
3.
The interest which one may have in a piece of ground, even though it is not inclosed.(Law)

05 a. Shut fast; closed; tight; as, a close box.

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.
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.
““Her close intent.”” — Spenser.
6.
Disposed to keep secrets; secretive; reticent.
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.
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.
13.
Difficult to obtain; as, money is close.
14.
Parsimonious; stingy.
15.
Adhering strictly to a standard or original; exact; strict; as, a close translation.
16.
Accurate; careful; precise; also, attentive; undeviating; strict; not wandering; as, a close observer.
17.
Uttered with a relatively contracted opening of the mouth, as certain sounds of e and o in French, Italian, and German; -- opposed to open.(Phon.)

Phrases & compounds

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 — See Fertilization.

Close harmony — 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 — 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 — directed as nearly to the point from which the wind blows as it is possible to sail; closehauled; -- said of a vessel.

06 adv. In a close manner.

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.