Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - close

 I. verb  (~d; closing)  Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French clos-, stem of clore, from Latin claudere to shut, ~; perhaps akin to Greek kleiein to ~ — more at clavicle  Date: 13th century  transitive verb  1.  a. to move so as to bar passage through something ~ the gate  b. to block against entry or passage ~ a street  c. to deny access to the city ~d the beach  d. screen, exclude ~ a view  e. to suspend or stop the operations of ~ school — often used with down  2. archaic en~, contain  3.  a. to bring to an end or period ~ an account  b. to conclude discussion or negotiation about the question is ~d; also to consummate by performing something previously agreed ~ a transfer of real estate title  c. to terminate access to (a computer file or program)  4.  a. to bring or bind together the parts or edges of a ~d book  b. to fill up (as an opening)  c. to make complete by circling or enveloping or by making continuous ~ a circuit  d. to reduce to nil ~d the distance to the lead racer  intransitive verb  1.  a. to contract, fold, swing, or slide so as to leave no opening the door ~d quietly  b. to cease operation the factory ~d down the stores ~ at 9 p.m.  2.  a. to draw near the ship was closing with the island  b. to engage in a struggle at ~ quarters ; grapple ~ with the enemy  3.  a. to come together ; meet  b. to draw the free foot up to the supporting foot in dancing  4. to enter into or complete an agreement ~ on a deal  5. to come to an end or period the services ~d with a short prayer  6. to reduce a gap ~d to within two points  • closable or ~able adjective Synonyms:  ~, end, conclude, finish, complete, terminate mean to bring or come to a stopping point or limit. ~ usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished ~ a debate. end conveys a strong sense of finality ended his life. conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting) the service concluded with a blessing. finish may stress completion of a final step in a process after it is painted, the house will be finished. complete implies the removal of all deficiencies or a successful finishing of what has been undertaken the resolving of this last issue completes the agreement. terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space your employment terminates after three months.  II. noun  Date: 14th century  1.  a. a coming or bringing to a conclusion at the ~ of the party  b. a conclusion or end in time or existence ; cessation the decade drew to a ~  c. the concluding passage (as of a speech or play)  2. the conclusion of a musical strain or period ; cadence  3. archaic a hostile encounter  4. the movement of the free foot in dancing toward or into contact with the supporting foot  III. noun  Etymology: Middle English clos, literally, enclosure, from Anglo-French clos, from Latin clausum, from neuter of clausus, past participle  Date: 13th century  1.  a. an en~d area  b. chiefly British the precinct of a cathedral  2. chiefly British  a. a narrow passage leading from a street to a court and the houses within or to the common stairway of tenements  b. a road ~d at one end  IV. adjective  (~r; ~st)  Etymology: Middle English clos, from Anglo-French, from Latin clausus, past participle of claudere  Date: 14th century  1. having no openings ; ~d  2.  a. confined or carefully guarded ~ arrest  b.  (1) of a vowel high 13  (2) formed with the tongue in a higher position than for the other vowel of a pair  3. restricted to a privileged class  4.  a. secluded, secret  b. secretive she could tell us something if she would…but she was as ~ as wax — A. Conan Doyle  5. strict, rigorous keep ~ watch  6. hot and stuffy a room with an uncomfortably ~ atmosphere  7. not generous in giving or spending ; tight  8. having little space between items or units a ~ WEAVE A ~ GRAIN  9.  a. fitting tightly or exactly a ~ fit  b. very short or near to the surface a ~ haircut  10. being near in time, space, effect, or degree at ~ range ~ to my birthday ~ to the speed of sound  11. intimate, familiar ~ friends  12.  a. very precise and attentive to details a ~ reading a ~ study  b. marked by fidelity to an original a ~ copy of an old master  c. terse, compact  13. decided or won by a narrow margin a ~ baseball game  14. difficult to obtain money is ~  15. of punctuation characterized by liberal use especially of commas  Synonyms: see stingy  • ~ly adverb  • ~ness noun  V. adverb  Date: 15th century in a ~ position or manner CLOSE  biographical name Chuck 1940- Charles Thomas ~ American painter