closenessn.
/ˈkləʊsnɪs/ Close quality or condition.† 1. † 2. Secrecy, concealment, reticence. Obsolete.
a. Closed or shut up condition, confinement.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > subjection > restraint or restraining > restraint depriving of liberty > confinement > [noun]
prisonOE
bonda1225
beclosing?c1225
narrowth?c1225
holdc1330
banda1400
festinance1426
duressc1430
enclosingc1440
closeness1530
durancea1535
closure1592
reclusedness1613
confinement1646
immurement1736
immuration1895
hack1899
prisonment1900
lockdown1973
1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 218 She is a gate euermore locked; for closenes of her vyrgynyte, bothe in hys concepcion, & in hys byrthe.
1612 Bp. J. Hall Contempl. I. i. v. 82 Some..longed for the open ayre after so long closenes.
a1656 Bp. J. Hall Shaking of Olive-tree (1660) ii. 131 This sealing argues a long reservation and closenesse.
b. Heraldry of the wings of birds.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > indication > insignia > heraldic devices collective > heraldic representations of creatures > [noun] > postures of creatures > of wings
closeness1610
1610 J. Guillim Display of Heraldrie iii. xix. 156 In these..Fowles, that are not much exercised in f[l]ight, you shall not need to speake of their closenesse.
c. ‘Narrowness, straitness’ (Johnson). Cf. close adj. 2.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > [noun]
dighelnessc1000
dernship?c1225
derna1250
concealmenta1325
hidnessc1330
hiddennessc1380
privy1384
secrenessc1386
secre1390
stillnessa1400
secretnessa1475
hodelnessec1475
scuggery?a1500
hugger-mugger1529
closeness1562
secrecy1563
privatenessa1586
covertness1592
hugger-mug1654
privacy1702
conspiracy of silence1865
hush-hush1973
1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1687) 210 Small diffrens betweene cloosnes and consealyng.
a1623 W. Pemble Justification (1629) 34 Arminius..vsed much closenesse and cunning conveyance.
1658 R. Allestree Pract. Christian Graces; or, Whole Duty of Man x. §16. 218 Any closeness a man uses in the acting of this sin.
1746 J. Wesley Princ. Methodist farther Explain'd 9 There is Darkness and Closeness in all their Behaviour.
1775 J. Adair Hist. Amer. Indians Pref. The secrecy and closeness of the Indians as to their own affairs.
3. Retirement, seclusion, solitude.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social relations > lack of social communication or relations > retirement or seclusion > [noun]
privity?c1225
reclusionc1430
abstractionc1450
recess?1532
privacy1534
solitariousness1545
retirea1554
secess1570
privatenessa1586
retirednessa1586
retirement1603
secrecy1607
closeness1612
shadow1612
privatea1616
recluseness1648
abstractednessa1653
recluse1665
abscondence1694
seclusion1785
seclusiveness1822
retiracy1824
secludedness1835
retraite1843
1612 T. Shelton tr. M. de Cervantes Don-Quixote: Pt. 1 iii. xi. (R.) The care and closeness, wherewithal her parents..have brought her up.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) i. ii. 90 All dedicated To closenes, and the bettering of my mind. View more context for this quotation
1835 R. Mudie Feathered Tribes Brit. Islands (ed. 2) I. 47 It is probable that they [quails] are more numerous..than appears to common observation. Their extreme closeness during the day appears to be the chief cause of this.
4. Want of free air or ventilation, as in a room that is shut up; a similar quality of the atmosphere in still sultry weather.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > gas > air > fresh air > [noun] > lack of fresh air
closeness1587
the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > bad weather > [noun] > oppressive stillness or closeness
languor1742
closeness1780
mugginess1829
sagginess1946
1587 G. Turberville Tragicall Tales f. 190v Faces..browne by reason of the stoue, and closenes of the ayre.
1708 J. Swift Elegy on Partridge Almost stifled by the closeness of the room.
1780 Schotte in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 70 480 A tornado is preceded by a disagreeable closeness and weight in the air.
1865 Daily Tel. 25 Oct. 7/3 The sudden closeness of the weather.
5. Nearness or proximity of component elements: compactness, density, solidity.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > constitution of matter > density or solidity > close texture > [noun]
stuffiness1611
closeness1674
1674 N. Fairfax Treat. Bulk & Selvedge 147 For the sake of its hardfastness or closeness.
1682 N. Grew Anat. Plants iv. i. v. 156 Closeness or Density of the Parenchyma.
1693 R. Bentley Boyle Lect. vii. 18 How could Particles so widely dispersed combine into that closeness of Texture?
1802 T. F. Dibdin Introd. Knowl. Rare Ed. Classics Advt. Smallness and closeness of the type.
6. Nearness to anything in space, time, amount, association, resemblance, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > relationship > [noun] > affinity or closeness
cousinagea1398
alliancea1475
affinityc1485
propinquitya1500
societya1513
kindred1528
cognationa1555
affinitive1579
sympathya1586
vicinity1594
affiance1597
contingence1612
contingency1612
congeniality1620
umbilicality1646
consanguinity1651
congeneracy1664
gossipred1674
congenerousness1677
closeness1692
intimacy1720
proximity1762
liaison1809
cousinship1848
affiliation1870
kinship1876
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > freedom from error, correctness > exactness, accuracy, precision > closeness to accuracy > [noun]
approximation1660
nearness1669
closeness1759
approximativeness1879
the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [noun] > intimacy
privitya1250
nearnessc1485
familiarness1539
inwardness1578
greatnessa1586
privatenessa1586
entireness1599
habitude1612
gossiprya1614
strictnessc1614
mutualitiesa1616
particulara1616
intimity1617
privancy1622
privacy1638
intimacy1641
intimateness1642
familiarity1664
throng1768
closeness1851
close harmony1876
innerliness1888
insociation1893
dearness-
1692 R. South 12 Serm. I. 383 The Actions..of Wise men run in a much greater closeness and coherence with one another.
1759 S. Johnson Idler 11 Aug. 249 The Poets shook off their constraint, and considered Translation as no longer confined to servile closeness.
1851 W. R. Greg Creed of Christendom xv. 227 The closeness and depth of his communion with the Father.
1884 H. D. Traill in Macmillan's Mag. In proportion to the closeness of the imitation.
1884 Manch. Examiner 9 May 5/1 The present vote..shows by its closeness [159 against 155] the growth of Free-trade opinions.
7. Exactness, conciseness.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > conciseness > [noun]
fastness?a1200
compendiousness1398
short speaking14..
shortness?c1450
brevity1509
briefness1530
pithiness1557
laconism1570
succinctness1609
parsimony1650
laconicism1656
nexility1656
syntomy1656
conciseness1659
closeness1712
compendiosity1727
pressness1728
abruptness1731
concision1774
laconicalness1830
compactness1841
terseness1864
Spartanhood1880
Spartanism1880
brachylogy1882–3
condensity1885
1712 J. Addison Spectator No. 363. ¶12 The Story..is drawn together with much Closeness and Propriety of Expression.
1781 S. Johnson Blackmore in Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets V. 47 The art of uniting ornament with strength, and ease with closeness.
1850 L. Hunt Autobiogr. (1860) iv. 87 It is Pope's wit and closeness that are the difficult things.
8. Niggardliness, stinginess, parsimony.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > retaining > niggardliness or meanness > [noun]
fastship?c1225
scarcenessa1300
scarcity1340
niggardyc1390
nithingheada1400
scarcehead1420
nigonryc1430
niggardship?a1439
pinching1440
straitheadc1450
straitnessc1460
niggard cheap1463
niggardnessc1487
nigonshipa1500
niggardise1502
niggishness1519
niggardliness1556
parsimony1561
illiberality1581
nearness1584
tenacity1586
Euclionism1599
paring1607
servilitya1610
niggeralitya1612
scanting1625
scant-handednessa1627
closefistedness1631
niggardess1632
close-handedness1646
strait-handedness1649
penury1651
unbountifulness1660
parsimoniousness1671
penuriousness1672
stinginess1682
closeness1712
illiberalness1727
meanness1755
cheeseparing1834
scrimping1835
churlishness1846
screwing1848
skinflintism1853
screwiness1856
flint-paring1860
skinflintiness1861
scrimp1864
flint-skinning1873
penny-pinching1895
skimping1898
tight-fistedness1975
1712 J. Addison Spectator No. 264. ¶2 Irus judged..That while he could keep his Poverty a Secret, he should not feel the Weight of it; he improved this Thought into an Affectation of Closeness and Covetousness.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1891; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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