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closet

clo·set

UK/ˈklɒzɪt/ US/ˈklɑzɪt/ common slang us
noun (4) adjective (2) verb (1)

noun

1.

a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space

Synonyms
2.
3.

a tall piece of furniture that provides storage space for clothes; has a door and rails or hooks for hanging clothes

Synonyms
4.

adjective

1.

(of information) given in confidence or in secret

  • “closet information”
  • “this arrangement must be kept confidential”
  • “their secret communications”
Synonyms
Similar
2.

indulging only covertly

  • “a closet alcoholic”
  • “closet liberals”
Synonyms
Similar

verb

1.

Origin

From Middle English closet, from Old French closet, from clos (“private space”) + -et (diminutive suffix), from Latin clausum. Equivalent to close + -et, but generally applied in French solely to small open-air enclosures.

Phrases

  • broom closet
  • cedar closet
  • chemical closet
  • clerk of the closet
  • closet audit
  • closet auger
  • closet candlestick
  • closet oneself
  • come out
  • come out of the closet

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Part of

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.