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Webster 1913 Edition

Close

Close

(klōz)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Closed
(klōzd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Closing
.]
[From OF. & F.
clos
, p. p. of
clore
to close, fr. L.
claudere
; akin to G.
schliessen
to shut, and to E.
clot
,
cloister
,
clavicle
,
conclude
,
sluice
. Cf.
Clause
,
Noun.
]
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.
A closed sea
,
a sea within the jurisdiction of some particular nation, which controls its navigation.

Close

,
Verb.
I.
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.
To close on
or
To close 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.

Close

,
Noun.
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.
Bacon.
4.
(Mus.)
(a)
The conclusion of a strain of music; cadence.
(b)
A double bar marking the end.
Syn. – Conclusion; termination; cessation; end; ending; extremity; extreme.

Close

(? or ?)
,
Noun.
[OF. & F.
clos
an inclosure, fr.
clos
, p. p. of
clore
. See
Close
,
Verb.
T.
]
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.]
Halliwell
3.
(Law)
The interest which one may have in a piece of ground, even though it is not inclosed.
Bouvier.

Close

(klōs)
,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Closer
(klō′sẽr)
;
sup
erl.
Closest
.]
[Of. & F.
clos
, p. p. of
clore
. See
Close
,
Verb.
T.
]
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
.
“A close prison.”
Dickens.
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.
“He yet kept himself close because of Saul.”
1 Chron. xii. 1
“Her
close
intent.”
Spenser.
6.
Disposed to keep secrets; secretive; reticent.
“For secrecy, no lady closer.”
Shak.
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
.
“Where the original is close no version can reach it in the same compass.”
Dryden.
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
.
“A close contest.”
Prescott.
13.
Difficult to obtain;
as, money is
close
.
Bartlett.
14.
Parsimonious; stingy.
“A crusty old fellow, as close as a vise.”
Hawthorne.
15.
Adhering strictly to a standard or original; exact; strict;
as, a
close
translation
.
Locke.
16.
Accurate; careful; precise; also, attentive; undeviating; strict; not wandering;
as, a
close
observer
.
17.
(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.

Close

(klōs)
,
adv.
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.

Webster 1828 Edition

Close

CLOSE

, v.t.
1.
To shut; to make fast, by pressing together, or by stopping an open place, so as to intercept a passage, in almost any manner; as, to close the eyes; to close a gate, door or window. In these and other cases, closing is performed by bringing an object before the opening. To close a book, is to bring the parts together.
The Lord hath closed your eyes. Is. 29.
He closed the book. Luke 4.
2.
To end; to finish; to conclude; to complete; to bring to a period; as, to close a bargain, or contract.
One frugal supper did our studies close.
3.
To unite, as the parts of a breach or fracture; to make whole; to consolidate; often followed by up.
The Lord closed up the flesh instead thereof. Gen. 2.
4.
To cover; to inclose; to encompass; to overwhelm.
The depths closed me round about. Jonah 2.
5.
To inclose; to confine. [See Inclose.]
6.
To move or bring together; to unite separate bodies or parts; as, to close the ranks of an army.

CLOSE

,
Verb.
I.
s as z.
1.
To unite; to coalesce; to come together; as the parts of a wound or fracture, or parts separated; often followed by on or upon.
The fat closed upon the blade. Judges 3.
The earth closed upon them. Num. 16.
2.
To end; to terminate, or come to a period; as, the debate closed at six oclock.
To close on or upon, to come to a mutual agreement; to agree on or join in.
France and Holland might close upon some measures to our disadvantage.
To close with, to accede to; to consent or agree to; as, to close with the terms proposed. When followed by the person with whom an agreement is made, to make an agreement with; to unite with; as, to close with an enemy.
He took the time when Richard was deposed,
And high and low with happy Harry closed.
In this sense, to close in with is less elegant.
To close with,
To close in with, To unite; to join closely; to grapple, as persons in a contest; applied to wrestlers, when they come to close embrace for scuffling.

CLOSE

, a.
1.
Shut fast; tight; made fast, so as to have no opening; as a close box; a close vizard.
2.
Having parts firmly united; compact; dense; applied to solid substances of any king; as the close texture of wood or metal.
3.
Having parts firmly adhering; viscous; tenacious; as oil, or glue.
4.
Confined; stagnant; without ventilation or motion; as close air.
5.
Confined; retired.
While David kept himself close. 1 Chron. 12.
6.
Hid; private; secret; as, to keep a purpose close. Numb. 5. Luke 9.
7.
Confined within narrow limits; narrow; as a close alley.
8.
Near; within a small distance; as a close fight or action.
9.
Joined; in contact or nearly so; crowded; as, to sit close.
10.
Compressed, as thoughts or words; hence, brief; concise; opposed to loose or diffuse.
Where the original is close, no version can reach it in the same compass.
11.
Very near, in place or time; adjoining, or nearly so.
I saw him come close to the ram. Dan. 8.
They sailed close by Crete. Acts 27.
Some dire misfortune follows close behind.
12.
Having the quality of keeping secrets, thoughts or designs; cautious; as a close minister. Hence in friendship, trusty; confidential
13.
Having an appearance of concealment; implying art, craft or wariness; as a close aspect.
14.
Intent; fixed; attentive; pressing upon the object; as, to give close attention.
Keep your mind or thoughts close to the business or subject.
15.
Full to the point; home; pressing; as a close argument; bring the argument close to the question.
16.
Pressing; earnest; warm; as a close debate.
17.
Confined; secluded from communication; as a close prisoner.
18.
Covetous; penurious; not liberal; as a close man.
19.
Applied to the weather or air, close, in popular language, denotes warm and damp, cloudy or foggy, or warm and relaxing, occasioning a sense of lassitude and depression. Perhaps originally, confined air.
20.
Strictly adhering to the original; as a close translation.
21.
In heraldry, drawn in a coat of arms with the wings close, and in a standing posture.
Close communion, with baptists, communion in the Lords supper with their own sect only.
Close election, an election in which the votes for different candidates are nearly equal.

CLOSE

,
adv.
Closely; nearly; densely; secretly; pressingly.
Behind her death close followed, pace for pace.

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