closet

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
closet/ˈklɒzɪt/

▶noun

• 1 chiefly N. Amer. a tall cupboard or wardrobe.

• 2 a small room.

  ■ archaic a toilet.

• 3 (the closet) (especially with reference to homosexuality) a state of secrecy or concealment.

  ■ [as modifier] secret; covert: a closet socialist.

▶verb (closets, closeting, closeted)

• 1 shut away in private conference or study: he was closeted with the king.

• 2 (as adj. closeted) keeping something, especially one's homosexuality, secret.

– origin ME: from OFr., dimin. of clos (see close1).