close the wind


[v. klohz; adj., adv. klohs or for 51, klohz; n. klohz for 59, 60, 63–65, 67, 68, klohs for 61, 62, 66]
verb (used with object), closed, closing.
to bring to an end: to close a debate.
verb (used without object), closed, closing.
to come together; unite: Her lips closed firmly.
to come close: His pursuers closed rapidly.
adjective, closer, closest.
compact; dense: a close texture; a close weave.
intimate or confidential; dear.
fitting tightly: a close, clinging negligee.
not deviating from the subject under consideration.
strict; searching; minute: The matter requires close investigation.
nearly even or equal: a close contest.
strictly logical: close reasoning.
shut; shut tight; not open: a close hatch.
shut in; enclosed.
completely enclosing or surrounding: a close siege preventing all escape.
without opening; with all openings covered or closed.
confined; narrow: close quarters.
heavy; oppressive: a spell of close, sultry weather.
narrowly confined, as a prisoner.
parsimonious; stingy: He is very close with his money.
scarce, as money.
(of a delimiting punctuation mark) occurring at the end of a group of words or characters that is set off, as from surrounding text: close parentheses; close quotes; close brackets. Compare open ( def 32 ).
Hunting, Angling. closed ( def 8 ).
Phonetics. (of a vowel) articulated with a relatively small opening between the tongue and the roof of the mouth. Compare high ( def 23 ), open ( def 34a ).
Archaic. viscous; not volatile.
in a close manner; closely.
near; close by.
the act of closing.
any piece of land held as private property.
Music. cadence ( def 7 ).
Stock Exchange.
the closing price on a stock.
the closing prices on an exchange market.
a narrow entry or alley terminating in a dead end.
a courtyard enclosed except for one narrow entrance.
Archaic. a junction; union.
Verb phrases
close down,
close in on/upon,
close out,
close up,
to become silent or uncommunicative.
close up,
from close range; in a detailed manner; intimately.
Nautical. fully raised; at the top of the halyard: an answering pennant flown close up. Compare dip ( def 37 ).


closable, closeable [kloh-zuh-buhl] , adjective
closely [klohs-lee] , adverb
closeness [klohs-nis] , noun
nonclose, adjective
nonclosely, adverb
overclose, adjective
overclosely, adverb
overcloseness, noun
preclose, verb (used with object), preclosed, preclosing.
unclosable, adjective

close, cloth, clothe, clothes, cloze (see synonym study at the current entry).

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World English Dictionary
close1 (kləʊs)
1.  near in space or time; in proximity
2.  having the parts near together; dense: a close formation
3.  down or near to the surface; short: a close haircut
4.  near in relationship: a close relative
5.  intimate or confidential: a close friend
6.  almost equal or even: a close contest
7.  not deviating or varying greatly from a model or standard: a close resemblance; a close translation
8.  careful, strict, or searching: a close study
10.  confined or enclosed
11.  shut or shut tight
12.  oppressive, heavy, or airless: a close atmosphere
13.  strictly guarded: a close prisoner
14.  neat or tight in fit: a close cap
15.  secretive or reticent
16.  miserly; not generous, esp with money
18.  restricted as to public admission or membership
19.  hidden or secluded
21.  phonetics closed, Also: narrow denoting a vowel pronounced with the lips relatively close together
22.  closely; tightly
23.  near or in proximity
24.  nautical close to the wind See also wind sailing as nearly as possible towards the direction from which the wind is blowing
[C13: from Old French clos close, enclosed, from Latin clausus shut up, from claudere to close]

close2 (kləʊz)
1.  to put or be put in such a position as to cover an opening; shut: the door closed behind him
2.  (tr) to bar, obstruct, or fill up (an entrance, a hole, etc): to close a road
4.  (intr; foll by on, over, etc) to take hold: his hand closed over the money
5.  to bring or be brought to an end; terminate
7.  to cease or cause to cease to render service: the shop closed at six
8.  (intr) stock exchange to have a value at the end of a day's trading, as specified: steels closed two points down
9.  to complete an electrical circuit
10.  (tr) nautical to pass near
11.  archaic (tr) to enclose or shut in
12.  close one's eyes
 a.  euphemistic to die
 b.  (often foll by to) to ignore
13.  the act of closing
14.  the end or conclusion: the close of the day
15.  a place of joining or meeting
16.  law private property, usually enclosed by a fence, hedge, or wall
17.  (Brit) a courtyard or quadrangle enclosed by buildings or an entry leading to such a courtyard
18.  (Brit) (capital when part of a street name) a small quiet residential road: Hillside Close
19.  (Brit) a field
20.  the precincts of a cathedral or similar building
21.  (Scot) the entry from the street to a tenement building
22.  music another word for cadence
23.  archaic, rare or an encounter in battle; grapple

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Word Origin & History

c.1200, "to shut, cover in," from O.Fr. clos- pp. stem of clore "shut," from L. clausus, pp. of claudere "to close, block up, put an end to, enclose, confine," from PIE base *klau- "hook, crooked or forked branch" (used as a bar or bolt in primitive structures); cf. L. clavis "key," clavus "nail," claustrum
"bar, bolt, barrier," claustra "dam, wall, barricade, stronghold;" Gk. kleidos "bar, bolt, key," klobos "cage;" O.Ir. clo "nail;" O.C.S. kljucu "hook, key," kljuciti "shut;" Lith. kliuti "to catch, be caught on," kliaudziu "check, hinder," kliuvu "clasp, hang;" O.H.G. sliozan "shut," Ger. schließen "shut," Schüßel "key;" M.Ir. clithar "hedge, fence." Replaced O.E. beclysan.

early 14c., "strictly confined," also "secret," from O.Fr. clos "confined," from L. clausus, pp. of claudere "stop up, fasten, shut" (see close (v.)); sense shifting to "near" (late 15c.) by way of "closing the gap between two things." Close call is 1881; close shave is 1834;
close quarters is 1753, originally nautical. Close-up (n.) in photography, etc., is from 1913. Closed circuit is attested from 1827; closed shop in union sense from 1904; closed system first recorded 1896 in William James; close-minded is attested from 1854.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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