Forms: 4 clos, 6 cloase, 6–7 cloze, 6– close. [f. CLOSE v.]
1. The act of closing; conclusion, termination, end.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, IV. 67. Er they come to the clos, acombrid thay were.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Rose, vi. All that worldlings prize … biteth in the close [rhyme rose].
1645. Bp. Hall, Rem. Discontents, 64. When he shall come to his last close [death].
1760. Beattie, Hermit, 1. At the close of the day, when the hamlet is still.
1839. Keightley, Hist. Eng., II. 44. Toward the close of the year.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. v. 398. To bring the matter to a close once and for all.
1876. Green, Short Hist., iii. 137. The close of the struggle.
† b. The closing passage of a speech, argument, etc.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 67. Philautus … answered his forged gloase, with this friendly cloase.
1649. Milton, Eikon., Wks. 1738, I. 395. To which may be added as a close, that [etc.].
a. 1734. North, Lives, I. 111. Divers members … made sharp closes to the prejudice of his name.
2. Music. The conclusion of a musical phrase, theme or movement; a CADENCE.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., 127. False closes … deuised to shun a final end … be … either ascending or descending.
1629. Milton, Nativity, 99. The air … prolongs each heavenly close.
1706. A. Bedford, Temple Mus., viii. 163. The Voices alter from an Unison, in order to make two Closes.
c. 1860. Goss, Harmony, xiii. 42. A Cadence or Close, signifies the last two chords of any passage.
1879. Parry, in Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 375/1. It [close] serves to express the ending of a phrase, [etc.] … as a fact, and not as denoting the particular succession of chords which are recognised as forming a cadence.
b. fig. 1599. Shaks., Hen. V., I. ii. 182. Gouernment … doth keepe in one consent, Congreeing in a full and natural close, Like Musicke.
1658. Flecknoe, Enigm. Charac. (1665), 1. Like an air in musick, [it] is full of closes.
3. A closing or uniting together; union, junction.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., V. iv. 117. A hand from either: Let me be blest to make this happy close. Ibid. (1601), Twel. N., V. i. 161. A Contract of eternall bond of loue … Attested by the holy close of lippes.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 111. The close or oneness therefore between ghost and body.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 73. [Thinking] on the blue horizon’s line … She’d find the close of earth and sky.
b. of the leaves of a door.
1615. Chapman, Odyss., II. 516 (J.). The doors of plank were; their close exquisite Kept with a double key.
4. A closing in fight; a grapple, struggle, encounter.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., I. i. 13. The intestine shocke, And furious cloze of ciuill Butchery.
1627–77. Feltham, Resolves, I. xi. 15. Lest … they should get a wound in the cloze.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., V. xvi. Unwounded from the dreadful close, But breathless all, Fitz James arose.
1822. B. Cornwall, Love cured by Kindness. In eager close With Death.
† 5. A closing or shutting up, closure. Obs.
1721. Perry, Daggenh. Breach, 74. Not to attempt the close of my Dam.
† 6. The closing in (of darkness or night). Obs.
a. 1700. Dryden, Death of Purcell, 5 (J.). But in the close of night, When Philomel begins her heavenly lay.
