close

Definitions

1. 1.To bring together the parts of; to consolidate; as, to close the ranks of an army; -- often used with up.
2. 2.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.
3. 3.To come or gather around; to inclose; to encompass; to confine. The depth closed me round about. Jonah ii.
4. 4.But now thou dost thyself immure and close In some one corner of a feeble heart. Herbert. A closed sea, a sea within the jurisdiction of some particular nation, which controls its navigation.
5. 5.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.
6. 6.To end, terminate, or come to a period; as, the debate closed at six o'clock.
7. 7.To grapple; to engange in hand-to-hand fight. They boldly closed in a hand-to-hand contest. Prescott. To close on or 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.
8. 8.The manner of shutting; the union of parts; junction. [Obs.] The doors of plank were; their close exquisite. Chapman.
9. 9.Conclusion; cessation; ending; end. His long and troubled life was drawing to a close. Macaulay.
10. 10.A grapple in wrestling. Bacon.
11. 11.(Mus.) (a) The conclusion of a strain of music; cadence. (b) A double bar marking the end. At every close she made, the attending throng Replied, and bore the burden of the song. Dryden.
12. 12.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.
13. 13.A narrow passage leading from a street to a court, and the houses within. [Eng.] Halliwell 3. (Law) The interest which one may have in a piece of ground, even though it is not inclosed. Bouvier.
14. 14.Shut fast; closed; tight; as, a close box. From a close bower this dainty music flowed. Dryden.
15. 15.Narrow; confined; as, a close alley; close quarters. "A close prison." Dickens.
16. 16.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.
17. 17.Strictly confined; carefully quarded; as, a close prisoner.
18. 18.Out of the way observation; secluded; secret; hidden. "He yet kept himself close because of Saul." 1 Chron. xii. 1 "Her close intent." Spenser.
19. 19.Disposed to keep secrets; secretive; reticent. "For servecy, no lady closer." Shak.
20. 20.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.
21. 21.Concise; to the point; as, close reasoning. "Where the original is close no version can reach it in the same compass." Dryden.
22. 22.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.
23. 23.Short; as, to cut grass or hair close.
24. 24.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.
25. 25.Nearly equal; almost evenly balanced; as, a close vote. "A close contest." Prescott.
26. 26.Difficult to obtain; as, money is close. Bartlett.
27. 27.Parsimonious; stingy. "A crusty old fellow, as close as a vise." Hawthorne.
28. 28.Adhering strictly to a standard or original; exact; strict; as, a close translation. Locke.
29. 29.Accurate; careful; precise; also, attentive; undeviating; strict; not wandering; as, a close observer.
30. 30.(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. 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.
31. 31.In a close manner.
32. 32.Secretly; darkly. [Obs.] A wondrous vision which did close imply The course of all her fortune and posterity. Spenser.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "close" mean?
• What is another word for "close"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is close.

• What is to bring together the parts of; to consolidate; as, to close the ranks of an army; -- often used with up called?
• What is 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 called?
• What is to come or gather around; to inclose; to encompass; to confine. The depth closed me round about. Jonah ii called?
• What is but now thou dost thyself immure and close In some one corner of a feeble heart. Herbert. A closed sea, a sea within the jurisdiction of some particular nation, which controls its navigation called?
• What is 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 called?
• What is to end, terminate, or come to a period; as, the debate closed at six o'clock called?
• What is the manner of shutting; the union of parts; junction. [Obs.] The doors of plank were; their close exquisite. Chapman called?
• What is conclusion; cessation; ending; end. His long and troubled life was drawing to a close. Macaulay called?
• What is (a) The conclusion of a strain of music; cadence. (b) A double bar marking the end. At every close she made, the attending throng Replied, and bore the burden of the song. Dryden called?
• What is a narrow passage leading from a street to a court, and the houses within. [Eng.] Halliwell 3. (Law) The interest which one may have in a piece of ground, even though it is not inclosed. Bouvier called?
• What is shut fast; closed; tight; as, a close box. From a close bower this dainty music flowed. Dryden called?
• What is narrow; confined; as, a close alley; close quarters. "A close prison." Dickens called?
• What is strictly confined; carefully quarded; as, a close prisoner called?
• What is out of the way observation; secluded; secret; hidden. "He yet kept himself close because of Saul." 1 Chron. xii. 1 "Her close intent." Spenser called?
• What is disposed to keep secrets; secretive; reticent. "For servecy, no lady closer." Shak called?
• What is concise; to the point; as, close reasoning. "Where the original is close no version can reach it in the same compass." Dryden called?
• What is 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 called?
• What is nearly equal; almost evenly balanced; as, a close vote. "A close contest." Prescott called?
• What is difficult to obtain; as, money is close. Bartlett called?
• What is parsimonious; stingy. "A crusty old fellow, as close as a vise." Hawthorne called?
• What is adhering strictly to a standard or original; exact; strict; as, a close translation. Locke called?
• What is accurate; careful; precise; also, attentive; undeviating; strict; not wandering; as, a close observer called?
• What is secretly; darkly. [Obs.] A wondrous vision which did close imply The course of all her fortune and posterity. Spenser called?