Webster's English Dictionary

close

Cross references:
  1. stingy                
 
1. close \'klo-z\ vb [ME closen, fr. OF clos-, stem of clore, fr. L 
   claudere] 1a: to move so as to bar passage through something {~ the gate}  
   1b: to block against entry or passage {~ a street}  1c: to deny access to  
   1d: SCREEN, EXCLUDE {~ a view}  1e: to suspend or stop the operations of {~ 
   school}  archaic  2: ENCLOSE, CONTAIN  3: to bring to an end or period : 
   TERMINATE  4a: to bring or bind together the parts or edges of {a closed 
   fist } 4b: to fill up (as an opening)  1a: to contract, fold, swing, or 
   slide so as to leave no opening  1b: to cease operation  2a: to draw near  
   2b: to engage in a struggle at close quarters : GRAPPLE {~  with the enemy} 
   3: to come together : MEET  4: to enter into or complete an agreement  5: 
   to come to an end or period E: CLOSE suggests making no longer accessible 
   to outside forces that cause change or development; END more strongly 
   connotes finality and usu. implies an achievement of progress or sequence; 
   CONCLUDE adds to CLOSE or to END a suggestion of formality; FINISH implies 
   that what one has set out to do has been done; COMPLETE implies that what 
   has been done has no deficiencies; TERMINATE implies setting a limit in 
   time or space with or without completing or fulfilling - clos.er n SYN syn 
   END, CONCLUDE, FINISH, COMPLETE, TERMINAT 
2. close \'klo-z\ n 1a: a coming or bringing to a conclusion  1b: a 
   conclusion or end in time or existence : CESSATION  1c: the concluding 
   passage (as of a speech or play)  2: the conclusion of a musical strain or 
   period : CADENCE  archaic  3: a hostile encounter 
3. close \'klo-s\ n [ME clos, lit., enclosure, fr. OF clos, fr. L clausum, 
   fr. ne]uter of clausus, pp. Brit  1: an enclosed area; esp : the precinct 
   of a cathedral  chiefly Brit  2a: a narrow passage leading from a street to 
   a court and the houses within  or to the common stairway of tenements 2b: a 
   road closed at one end 
4. close \'klo-s\ aj [ME clos, fr. MF, fr. L clausus, pp. of claudere to 
   shut, clo]se; akin to Gk kleiein to close, OHG sliozan 1: having no 
   openings : CLOSED  2a: confined or confining strictly  of a vowel  2b1: 
   HIGH  2b2: formed with the tongue in a higher position than for the other 
   vowel  of a pair 3: restricted to a privileged class  4a: SECLUDED, SECRET  
   4b: SECRETIVE  5: STRICT, RIGOROUS {keep ~ watch}  6: SULTRY, STUFFY  7: 
   STINGY, TIGHTFISTED  8: having little space between items or units  9a: 
   fitting tightly or exactly  9b: very short or near to the surface  9c: 
   matching or blending without gap  10: being near in time, space, effect, or 
   degree  11: INTIMATE, FAMILIAR  12a: ACCURATE, PRECISE  12b: marked by 
   fidelity to an original  12c: TERSE, COMPACT  13: decided by a narrow 
   margin  14: difficult to obtain {money is ~}  of punctuation  15: 
   characterized by liberal use esp. of commas htly together. CLOSE implies 
   the least possible space or interval between elements without actual 
   pressure or loss of individual identity; DENSE implies compression of parts 
   or elements so great as to be almost impenetrable; COMPACT suggests a firm 
   union or consolidation of parts within a small compass; THICK implies a 
   concentrated abundance of parts or units - close.ly av SYN syn CLOSE, 
   DENSE, COMPACT, THICK mean massed tig 
5. close \'klo-s\ av : in a close position or manner : NEAR