CLOSELY

closely

(adverb) in a close relation or position in time or space; “the onsets were closely timed”; “houses set closely together”; “was closely involved in monitoring daily progress”

closely, intimately, nearly

(adverb) in a close manner; “the two phenomena are intimately connected”; “the person most nearly concerned”

close, closely, tight

(adverb) in an attentive manner; “he remained close on his guard”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Adverb

closely (comparative closelier or more closely, superlative closeliest or most closely)

In a close manner.

(obsolete) secretly; privately

Anagrams

• colleys

Source: Wiktionary

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Close"ly, adv.

1. In a close manner.

2. Secretly; privately. [Obs.] That nought she did but wayle, and often steepe Her dainty couch with tears which closely she did weepe. Spenser.

CLOSE

Close, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Closed; p. pr. & vb. n. Closing.] Etym: [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, n.]

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, v. 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 engange in hand-to-hand fight. They boldly closed in a hand-to-hand contest. Prescott. To close on or 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, n.

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. At every close she made, the attending throng Replied, and bore the burden of the song. Dryden.

Syn.

– Conclusion; termination; cessation; end; ending; extremity; extreme.

Close ( or ), n. Etym: [OF. & F. clos an inclosure, fr. clos, p. p. of clore. See Close, v. 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)

Definition: The interest which one may have in a piece of ground, even though it is not inclosed. Bouvier.

Close, a. [Compar. Closer; superl. Closest.] Etym: [Of. & F. clos, p. p. of clore. See Close, v. 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 servecy, 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.)

Definition: 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, 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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