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/ˈkloʊ̯z/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 5.36 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
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 claudō (“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 κλείω (kleíō), κλείς (kleís, “bar, bolt, key”), Russian заключи́ть (zaključítʹ) (via ключ (ključ)), 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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈkloʊ̯z/
- British English: /ˈkləʊz/
Usage
Inflected Forms
closes (present, singular)
closing (participle, present)
closed (participle, past)
closed (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
closed (first person, past)
closest (archaic, present)
closed (past, second person)
closedst (archaic, past)
closeth (archaic, present)
closed (past, singular)