near

Definitions

1. 1.Nearly; almost; well-nigh. "Near twenty years ago." Shak. "Near a fortnight ago." Addison. Near about the yearly value of the land. Locke.
2. 2.Closely; intimately. Shak. Far and near, at a distance and close by; throughout a whole region. -- To come near to, to want but little of; to approximate to. "Such a sum he found would go near to ruin him." Addison. -- Near the wind (Naut.), close to the wind; closehauled.
3. 3.Not far distant in time, place, or degree; not remote; close at hand; adjacent; neighboring; nigh. "As one near death." Shak. He served great Hector, and was ever near, Not with his trumpet only, but his spear. Dryden.
4. 4.Closely connected or related. She is thy father's near kinswoman. Lev. xviii.
5. 5.3. Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; touching, or affecting intimately; intimate; dear; as, a near friend.
6. 6.Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling; as, a version near to the original.
7. 7.So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow; as, a near escape.
8. 8.Next to the driver, when he is on foot; in the Unted States, on the left of an animal or a team; as, the near ox; the near leg. See Off side, under Off, a.
9. 9.Immediate; direct; close; short. "The nearest way." Milton.
10. 10.Close-fisted; parsimonious. [Obs. or Low, Eng.] Note: Near may properly be followed by to before the thing approached'; but more frequently to is omitted, and the adjective or the adverb is regarded as a preposition. The same is also true of the word nigh.
11. 11.Adjacent to; close by; not far from; nigh; as, the ship sailed near the land. See the Note under near, a.
12. 12.To approach; to come nearer; as, the ship neared the land.
13. 13.To draw near; to approach. A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist! And still it neared, and neared. Coleridge.

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

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "near" mean?
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Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is near.

• What is nearly; almost; well-nigh. "Near twenty years ago." Shak. "Near a fortnight ago." Addison. Near about the yearly value of the land. Locke called?
• What is closely connected or related. She is thy father's near kinswoman. Lev. xviii called?
• What is 3. Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; touching, or affecting intimately; intimate; dear; as, a near friend called?
• What is close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling; as, a version near to the original called?
• What is so as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow; as, a near escape called?
• What is next to the driver, when he is on foot; in the Unted States, on the left of an animal or a team; as, the near ox; the near leg. See Off side, under Off, a called?
• What is immediate; direct; close; short. "The nearest way." Milton called?
• What is adjacent to; close by; not far from; nigh; as, the ship sailed near the land. See the Note under near, a called?
• What is to approach; to come nearer; as, the ship neared the land called?
• What is to draw near; to approach. A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist! And still it neared, and neared. Coleridge called?