# close

> English word · Verb · IPA /kləʊz/ · frequency rank #431

## Definitions
1. To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
2. To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
3. To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
4. To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
5. To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
6. To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
7. To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
8. To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
9. To finish.
10. To finish.
11. To finish.
12. To finish.
13. To finish.
14. To finish.
15. To make or become non-operational or unavailable for use.
16. To make or become non-operational or unavailable for use.
17. To make or become non-operational or unavailable for use.
18. To make or become non-operational or unavailable for use.
19. To make or become non-operational or unavailable for use.
20. To make or become non-operational or unavailable for use.
21. To come or gather around; to enclose.
22. To have a vector sum of 0; that is, to form a closed polygon.

## Etymology
From Middle English closen (“to close, enclose”), partly continuing (in altered form) earlier Middle English clusen (“to close”) from Old English clȳsan (“to close, shut”); compare beclose, foreclose, etc.), and partly derived from Middle English clos (“close, shut up, confined, secret”, adjective), from Old French clos (“close, confined”, adjective), from Latin clausus (“shut up”, past participle), from claudere (“to bar, block, close, enclose, bring an end to, confine”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂w- (“key, hook, nail”), related to Latin clāvis (“key, deadbolt, bar”), clāvus (“nail, peg”), claustrum (“bar, bolt, barrier”), claustra (“dam, wall, barricade, stronghold”). Cognate with Ancient Greek κλείς (kleís, “bar, bolt, key”), German schließen (“to close, conclude, lock”), Dutch sluiten (“to close, conclude, lock”). Partially replaced Old English lūcan (“to close, lock, enclose”), (whence English lock). Doublet of clause.

## Easily confused with
- **cos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-cos)
- **Coe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-coe)
- **CSE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-cse)
- **come** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-come)
- **cost** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-cost)
- **code** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-code)
- **core** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-core)
- **clue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-clue)
- **cole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-cole)
- **coke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-coke)
- **cope** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-cope)
- **cone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-cone)
- **cove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-cove)
- **cosy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-cosy)
- **clot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-clot)
- **cote** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-cote)
- **CMOS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-cmos)
- **coos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-coos)
- **cross** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-cross)
- **cloud** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/close-vs-cloud)

## Common misspellings (7)
`cclose`, `cllose`, `cloes`, `closse`, `clsoe`, `colse`, `lcose`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/close