closely

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
close1 /kləʊs/

▶adjective

• 1 only a short distance away or apart in space or time.

  ■ dense: close print.

  ■ (close to) very near to (being or doing something).

• 2 denoting someone who is part of a person's immediate family, typically a parent or sibling.

  ■ on very affectionate or intimate terms.

  ■ (of a connection or resemblance) strong.

• 3 (of observation or examination) done carefully and thoroughly.

• 4 (of information) carefully guarded: a close secret.

  ■ not willing to give away money or information.

• 5 uncomfortably humid or airless.

• 6 Phonetics another term for high (sense 7 of the adjective).

▶adverb so as to be very near; with very little space between. ▶noun

• 1 Brit. a residential street without through access.

• 2 Brit. the precinct surrounding a cathedral.

• 3 Scottish an entry from the street to a common stairway or to a court at the back of a building.

– phrases
at (or from) close quarters (or range) very or overly close to someone or something.
close-fisted unwilling to spend money; mean.
close-knit (of a group of people) united by strong relationships and common interests.
close-mouthed reticent; discreet.
close-run (of a contest or objective) won or lost by a very small margin.
close-set (of things) having little space in between.
close shave (also close call) informal a narrow escape from danger or disaster.

– derivatives
closely adverb,
closeness noun,
closish adjective.

– origin ME: from OFr. clos, from L. clausum ‘enclosure’ and clausus ‘closed’ (past part. of claudere).

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
close2 /kləʊz/

▶verb

• 1 move so as to cover an opening.

• 2 (also close something up) bring two parts of (something) together.

  ■ make or become narrower or blocked: she felt her throat close up.

• 3 (close on/in on/up on) gradually get nearer to or surround.

  ■ (close with) come near, especially so as to engage with (an enemy force).

  ■ (close in) (of days) get successively shorter with the approach of the winter solstice.

• 4 (close around/over) encircle and hold.

• 5 bring or come to an end.

  ■ finish speaking or writing.

  ■ satisfactorily conclude (a business transaction).

• 6 (often close down/up) (of a business or other organization) cease to be open to the public or in operation.

• 7 make (an electric circuit) continuous.

▶noun

• 1 the end of an event or of a period of time or activity: the day drew to a close.

• 2 the shutting of a door.

– derivatives
closable adjective,
closer noun,
closing adjective.

– origin ME: from OFr. clos-, stem of clore, from L. claudere ‘to shut’.