King James Bible Dictionary

CLOSE, verb transitive

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. Isaiah 29:10.

He closed the book. Luke 4:20.

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. Genesis 2:21.

4. To cover; to inclose; to encompass; to overwhelm.

The depths closed me round about. Jonah 2:5.

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 intransitive 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 3:22.

The earth closed upon them. Numbers 16:33.

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, adjective

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 Chronicles 12:1.

6. Hid; private; secret; as, to keep a purpose close Numbers 5:13. Luke 9:36.

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. Daniel 8:7.

They sailed close by Crete. Acts 27:13.

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, adverb Closely; nearly; densely; secretly; pressingly.

Behind her death close followed, pace for pace.

CLOSE-BANDED, adjective Being in close order; closely united.

CLOSE-BODIED, adjective Fitting the body exactly; setting close; as a garment.

CLOSE-COMPACTED, adjective Being in compact order; compact.

CLOSE-COUCHED, adjective Quite concealed.

CLOSE-CURTAINED, adjective Inclosed or surrounded with curtains.

CLOSED, participle passive Shut; made fast; ended; concluded.

CLOSE-FISTED, adjective Covetous; niggardly.

CLOSE-HANDED, adjective Covetous; penurious.

CLOSE-HANDEDNESS, noun Covetousness.

CLOSE-HAULED, adjective In seamanship, having the tacks or lower corners of the sails drawn close to the side to windward, and the sheets hauled close aft, in sailing near the wind.

CLOSELY, adverb

1. In a close, compact manner; with the parts united, or pressed together, so as to leave no vent; as a crucible closely luted.

2. Nearly; with little space intervening; applied to space or time; as, to follow closely at ones heels; one event follows closely upon another.

3. Intently; attentively; with the mind or thoughts fixed; with near inspection; as, to look or attend closely

4. Secretly; slyly.

5. With near affection, attachment or interest; intimately; as, men closely connected in friendship; nations closely allied by treaty.

6. Strictly; within close limits; without communication abroad; as a prisoner closely confined.

7. With strict adherence to the original; as, to translate closely

CLOSENESS, noun

1. The state of being shut, pressed together, or united. Hence according to the nature of the thing to which the word is applied.

2. Compactness; solidity; as the closeness of texture in wood or fossils.

3. Narrowness; straitness; as of a place.

4. Tightness in building, or in apartments; firmness of texture in cloth, etc.

5. Want of ventilation; applied to a close room, or to the air confined in it.

6. Confinement or retirement of a person; recluseness; solitude.

7. Reserve in intercourse; secrecy; privacy; caution.

8. Covetousness; penuriousness.

9. Connection; near union; intimacy, whether of friendship, or of interest; as the closeness of friendship, or of alliance.

10. Pressure; urgency; variously applied; as the closeness of an agreement, or of debate; the closeness of a question or inquiry.

11. Adherence to an original; as the closeness of a version.

CLOSE-PENT, adjective Shut close.

CLOSE-QUARTERS, noun Strong barriers of wood used in a ship for defense when the ship is boarded.

CLOSER, noun s as z. A finisher; one who concludes.

CLOSER, adjective comparative of close. More close.

CLOSEST, adjective superlative of close. Most close. In these words, s has its proper sound.

CLOSE-STOOL, noun A chamber utensil for the convenience of the sick and infirm.

As used in the New Testament, signifies properly a storehouse (Luke 12:24), and hence a place of privacy and retirement (Matthew 6:6; Luke 12:3).

Used as a place for prayer
Matthew 6:6

CLOSET, noun s as z.

1. A small room or apartment for retirement; any room for privacy.

When thou prayest, inter into thy closet Matthew 6:6.

2. An apartment for curiosities or valuable things.

3. A small close apartment or recess in the side of a room for repositing utensils and furniture.

CLOSET, verb transitive s as z. To shut up in a closet; to conceal; to take into a private apartment for consultation.

CLOSETED, participle passive s as z. Shut up in a closet; concealed.

CLOSETING, participle present tense s as z. Shutting up in a private room; concealing.

CLOSE-TONGUED, adjective Keeping silence; cautious in speaking.

CLOSET-SIN, noun Sin committed in privacy.