Close

verb closes · closing · closed · close

1. ambitransitive, physical To move a thing, or part of a thing, nearer to another so that the gap or opening between the two is removed. Close the door behind you when you leave.
2. physical, transitive To obstruct or block. They closed the road for the festival.
3. intransitive, physical To become denser or more crowded with objects. As we penetrated further, the forest closed around us.
4. figuratively, intransitive, physical, transitive To make or become unreceptive. He has closed his mind to new ideas.
5. intransitive, physical, transitive To move to a position preventing fluid from flowing.
6. intransitive, physical, transitive To move to a position allowing electricity to flow.
7. physical To grapple; to engage in close combat. 1856-1858, William H. Prescott, History of the Reign of Phillip II They boldly closed in a hand-to-hand contest.
8. especially, intransitive, physical, transitive To angle (a club, bat or other hitting implement) downwards and/or (for a right-hander) anticlockwise of straight.
9. transitive To end or conclude. The committee chairman made a few concluding remarks and then closed the session.
10. intransitive To finish; to come to an end. The debate closed at six o'clock.
11. ergative To conclude (a sale).
12. transitive To perform as the final act at (a show etc.). Nirvana closed the festival.
13. transitive To make the final outs, usually three, of a game. He has closed the last two games for his team.
14. transitive To cancel or reverse (a trading position).
15. transitive To put out of use or operation. We are closing the phone lines at 9 pm.
16. intransitive To cease operation or cease to be available. Phone lines will close in ten minutes.
17. intransitive To cease trading for the day, or permanently. The supermarket closes at eight o'clock.
18. intransitive To do the tasks (putting things away, locking doors, etc.) required to prepare a store or other establishment to shut down for the night. Whoever closed last night forgot to turn off the closet light.
19. ergative To terminate an application, window, file or database connection, etc. Close the file when you have finished reading data.
20. Cyprus, Philippines, Quebec To turn off; to switch off. Please close the lights, the (electric) fan, the TV.
21. figuratively To come or gather around; to enclose. The depth closed me round about.
22. To have a vector sum of 0; that is, to form a closed polygon.

noun closes

1. An end or conclusion. We owe them our thanks for bringing the project to a successful close.
2. The manner of shutting; the union of parts; junction. The doors of plank were; their close exquisite.
3. The point at the end of a sales pitch when the consumer is asked to buy. Regardless of the situation, the minute you feel it's time for the close, try it.
4. A grapple in wrestling. The intestine shocke, And furious cloze of ciuill Butchery.
5. The conclusion of a strain of music; cadence. At every close she made, the attending throng / Replied, and bore the burden of the song.
6. A double bar marking the end.
7. The time when check-in staff will no longer accept passengers for a flight.

Similar: end, finale

adjective closer · closest

1. At little distance; near in space or time. Is your house close?
2. Almost, but not quite (getting to an answer, goal, or other state); near. No, but you were close.
3. Almost resulting in disaster. Phew! That was close!
4. Nearly equal; almost evenly balanced; almost exactly matching. Their ages are quite close.
5. Adhering strictly to a standard or original; exact or nearly so. a close translation; a close copy
6. Intimate or immediate in personal relationship. He is a close friend.
7. Involving a tight connection; involving frequent communication, shared or cooperative activity, etc. We have a close affiliation with the college.
8. Nearing orgasm.
9. Physically narrow or confined. a close alley; close quarters; close confines
10. Tight, with little space separating components or elements. For this job it's best to use wood with a close grain.
11. Strictly confined; carefully guarded. He was captured and kept a close prisoner.
12. Tightly restricted in availability. The pregnancy was a close secret.
13. Of a corporation or other business entity, closely held.
14. Oppressive; without motion or ventilation; causing a feeling of lassitude. 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.
15. Ireland, UK Hot, humid, with no wind.
16. archaic Dense; solid; compact. The golden globe being put into a press, [...] the water made itself way through the pores of that very close metal.
17. Attentive; undeviating; strict. The patient was kept under close observation.
18. Carefully done, detailed. This issue merits close examination.
19. Accurate; precise.
20. Short. to cut grass or hair close
21. archaic Closed, shut. There is no thinge ſo cloſe / that ſhall not be openned / and no thinge ſo hyd that ſhall not be knowen.
22. Articulated with the tongue body relatively close to the hard palate.
23. With its wings at its side, closed, held near to its body (typically also statant); (of wings) in this posture. Crest, a cockatrice, wings close, vert, combed and wattled gu.
24. dated Difficult to obtain. Money is close.
25. dated Parsimonious; stingy. Yet were these Florentines as self-retired / In hungry pride and gainful cowardice, / As two close Hebrews in that land inspired, / Paled in and vineyarded from beggar-spies; [...]
26. obsolete Out of the way of observation; secluded; secret; hidden. He yet kept himself close because of Saul.
27. archaic Concise; to the point. close reasoning
28. Marked, evident.

Similar: near, nearby, intimate, oppressive

adverb closer · closest

1. So as to leave or create little distance or space between objects. The car behind was following too close and could not brake in time.
2. Carefully, in detail. Look close at the pictures.
3. In combination (sometimes potentially ambiguous between adverb and adjective). close-packed, close-knit, close-fitting

noun closes

1. UK A street that ends in a dead end.
2. historical Private fenced land, such as a paddock, orchard or yard, that, along with the common pasture land and woodland, constituted the inarable component of the open-field system of the medieval manor in England. To be SOLD, At Mr. PACEY's, the WHITE LION in Nottingham, on Thursday the 28th Day of May, between the Hours of three and six in the Afternoon; THE INHERITANCE in Fee Simple of the MANOR of ALSWORTH, otherwise AWSWORTH, in the County of Nottingham, and also several Messuages and Tenements, with the
3. Yorkshire, archaic An enclosed field, especially a field enclosed around a (usually religious) building (e.g. a cathedral close).
4. Scotland A very narrow alley between two buildings, often overhung by one of the buildings above the ground floor.
5. Scotland The common staircase in a tenement. The woman nodded at a nearby flight of steps. 'This is my close. We can talk in here. Come on.'.
6. The interest which one may have in a piece of ground, even though it is not enclosed.

proper noun Closes

1. A surname.