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DictionaryRoot: claudere
Latin

claudere

close or shut

Forms

  • claudere
  • claus- — The form used for completed action.
  • -clud- — The vowel changed in Latin compounds.
  • -clus- — The corresponding changed completed-action form.

Origin

Related to Latin clavis, “key,” in an older Indo-European family associated with closing.

Note

Closing can suggest ending an argument, keeping something in, or keeping something out.

2 / 17
adjective / adverb

close

Separated by only a small distance or difference.

The children stay close to their parents in the crowd.

Etymology
closeLatinclose or shut

Latin claudere meant to shut. Close developed the idea of being confined or tightly joined, which connects enclosure with objects separated by very little space.

More examples

  • The deadline is close, so we need to finish today.
  • Their scores are so close that either player could win.
  • Despite living far apart, we remain close friends.
  • She pays close attention to every instruction.

Forms

close · closer · closest

closeness noun — The state of being near or similar.

Similar words

near
Emphasizes a short distance in space or time.
similar
Emphasizes shared qualities rather than physical or emotional nearness.
narrow
Describes a small margin in scores, votes, or results.