near
Meanings
- Physically close.
- Close in time.
- Closely connected or related.
- Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; intimate; dear.
- Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling.
- So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow.
- Approximate, almost.
- On the side nearest to the kerb (the left-hand side if one drives on the left).
- Next to the driver, when he is on foot; (US) on the left of an animal or a team.
- Immediate; direct; close; short.
- Stingy; parsimonious.
- Within the currently selected segment in a segmented memory architecture.
- At or towards a position close in space or time.
- Nearly; almost.
- Physically close to, in close proximity to.
- Close to in time.
- Close to in nature or degree.
- To come closer to; to approach.
- The left side of a horse or of a team of horses pulling a carriage etc.
- Kidney.
- A surname.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From Middle English nere, ner, from Old English nēar (“nearer”, comparative of nēah (“nigh”), the superlative would become next), influenced by Old Norse nær (“near”), both originating from Proto-Germanic *nēhwiz (“nearer”), comparative of the adverb *nēhw (“near”), from the adjective *nēhwaz, ultimately from Pre-Proto-Germanic *h₂nḗḱwos, a lengthened-grade adjective derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian nai, noi, näi (“close, near”), Saterland Frisian nai (“close, near”), Dutch na (“close”), naar (“to, towards”), Dutch Low Saxon nao (“after”), German nach (“after”), nahe (“near”), näher (“nearer”), German Low German nao, nå (“towards”), Luxembourgish no (“after”), Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk nær (“close, near”), Swedish när, nära (“close, near”), Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈 (nēƕ, “close, near”). See also nigh. Near appears to be derived from (or at the very least influenced by) the North Germanic languages; as opposed to nigh, which continues the inherited West Germanic adjective. Both, however, are ultimately derived from the same Proto-Germanic root: *nēhw (“near, close”).