not open; shut
The store was closed by the time we arrived.
Mark pushed the door, but it was firmly closed.
past tense and past participle of close
She closed the book and went to sleep.
The bank closed early because of the holiday.
not open to everyone; restricted or private
Membership to the club is closed to non-residents.
The meeting was closed to the public.
to shut something so that it is no longer open
She closed the window when it started to rain.
Please close the door behind you so the heat stays in.
to bring something to an end or to stop operating
The museum closes at six o'clock every evening.
The ceremony closed with a beautiful song.
to shut something or become shut
Please close the window; it's getting cold.
The store closes at 9 p.m.
✦ Same origin as adjective sense, with the meaning “to shut” developing in Middle English.
to bring something to an end, or to end
The speaker will close the ceremony with a song.
They closed the meeting after everyone agreed on the plan.
✦ Sense of “conclude” appears in 15th-century English, extending the idea of shutting to finishing an event.
to make something known or reveal information that was previously secret or unknown
The company refused to disclose the details of the deal.
She whispered and disclosed her secret plan to her best friend.
✦ Late Middle English: from Latin ‘disclosus’, past participle of ‘discludere’ meaning ‘to unbolt, open’.
to officially publish or report information, especially financial or legal facts, as required by rules or law
Public companies are required to disclose their earnings every quarter.
The bank disclosed its exposure to foreign debt in the report.
✦ Same origin as the general sense: from Latin ‘discludere’ meaning ‘to open’. It became a legal and financial term in the 19th century when regulations began requiring companies to reveal information to the public.
to surround something completely on all sides with a fence, wall, or barrier.
The farmer decided to enclose his field with a sturdy wooden fence.
Tall stone walls enclose the historic monastery on the hilltop.
✦ From Middle English enclōsen, from Old French enclore, from Latin inclūdere (“to shut in, lock up”), from in- (“in”) + claudere (“to close, shut”).
to put a document or payment inside an envelope along with a letter.
Please enclose your resume with the application form.
He forgot to enclose the check in the letter.
