English Explanatory Dictionary

closet

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A small room within a house used to store clothing, food, or other household supplies.
  2. Any private space, (particularly) bowers in the open air.
  3. Any private or inner room, (particularly)
  4. Any private or inner room, (particularly):
  5. A private room used by women to groom and dress themselves.
  6. A private room used for prayer or other devotions.
  7. A place of (usually, fanciful) contemplation and theorizing.
  8. The private residence or private council chamber of a monarch.
  9. A pew or side-chapel reserved for a monarch or other feudal lord.
  10. A private cabinet, (particularly):
  11. One used to store valuables.
  12. One used to store curiosities.
adj
  1. Private.
  2. Closeted, secret (especially with reference to gay people who are in the closet).
  3. Denoting anything kept a secret or private.
verb
  1. To shut away for private discussion.
  2. To put into a private place for a secret interview or interrogation.
  3. To shut up in, or as in, a closet for concealment or confinement.

Pronunciation

/ˈklɒzɪt/ /ˈklɑzɪt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-closet.wav

Word forms

closet closets closeting closeted

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

cabinet armchair bathroom

Related words

out come out come out of the closet

Derived words

bed-closet broom closet cedar closet chemical closet clerk of the closet closet audit closet auger closet candlestick closet-candlestick closet case closet-chapel closet-chaplain closet-devotion closet-door closet drama closet-draught closetful Closetgate closet-help closet hook closet index closet-keeper closetlike closet-lucubration closet-meditation closet of decency closet of ease closet of the heart closet-philosopher closet picture closet-picture closet politician closet-politician closet-prayer closet-preparation closet queen closet-reasoner closet-religion closetry closet-speculation closet-student closet-study closet-vow closetwork closet-work closety come out of the broom closet come out of the closet cybercloset dry closet earth closet Fibber McGee's closet food closet glass closet hide in the closet hot closet in the closet linen closet monster closet powder closet

Translations

Arabic: خِزَانَة Arabic: كبت Armenian: պահարան Azerbaijani: dolab Azerbaijani: şkaf Belarusian: ша́фа Bulgarian: стенен гардероб Bulgarian: килер Bulgarian: шкаф Bulgarian: гардеро́б Chinese Mandarin: 壁櫥 /壁橱 Czech: skříň Danish: skab Dutch: kast Esperanto: ŝranko Faroese: skáp Finnish: kaappi Finnish: komero French: placard Georgian: კარადა German: Schrank German: Wandschrank German: Geheim- Greek: ντουλάπι Hebrew: ארון Hindi: अलमैराह Hungarian: beépített szekrény Hungarian: faliszekrény Hungarian: gardrób Hungarian: gardróbszekrény Hungarian: járható ruhásszekrény Hungarian: zug Icelandic: skápur Ingrian: škaappi Italian: armadio Italian: ripostiglio Japanese: クローゼット Japanese: 押入 Japanese: 収納庫 Kazakh: шкаф Korean: 옷장 Latin: armarium Norwegian Nynorsk: skåp Persian: کمد Persian: اشکاف Polish: szafa Portuguese: guarda-roupas Portuguese: armário Russian: шкаф Serbo-Croatian: ormar Sicilian: muarra Slovak: skriňa Slovene: omara Spanish: ropero Spanish: armario Spanish: clóset Spanish: placar Spanish: placard Spanish: cachimán Swedish: skåp Swedish: garderob Turkish: dolap Ukrainian: ша́фа Walloon: calbote Walloon: årmå Walloon: årmwere
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