CLOSE


Meaning of CLOSE in English

I. verb

COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES

a careful/close analysis

Students learn to make a close analysis of the texts.

a close check (= a careful one )

His teacher was keeping a close check on his progress.

a close circle (= in which the people know each other very well )

He cultivated a close circle of musical acquaintances.

a close companion

At school, we were close companions for several years.

a close copy (= a good copy )

It is a close copy of a bronze figure found in Iceland.

a close examination (= very careful and detailed )

A close examination of the figures revealed many discrepancies.

a close finish (= an end of a race where two competitors are very close to each other )

a close friendship

Ron had formed a close relationship with Andrea.

a close partnership

The two companies have built up a close partnership over the past four years.

a close relation (= a brother, parent, aunt etc )

Many of her close relations live nearby.

a close relationship

The evidence points to a close relationship between poverty and disease.

a close relative (= a brother, parent, aunt etc )

He lost several close relatives in the war.

a close resemblance

The vase bore a close resemblance to one owned by my mother.

a close/close-knit/tight-knit community (= where all the people know each other )

I live in a close-knit community where there's lots of support.

a closed circle (= not open to other people )

He didn’t have much experience of life beyond the closed circle of his family.

a close/great/strong similarity

There was a close similarity between his and Smith's views on education.

a close/strong bond

A strong bond had developed between them.

a close/strong connection

the close connection between maths and physics

a door opens/closes/shuts

We were still waiting for the train doors to open.

a good/close friend (= one of the friends you like the most )

She’s a good friend of mine.

a good/close/reasonable approximation

a play closes (= its performances stop )

The play closes on Sunday, so don’t miss it!

a private/closed meeting (= that only a few people are allowed to go to )

The senator attended a private meeting with the president.

a road is closed

The mountain road was closed by snow.

a strong/close alliance

He forged a strong alliance between his state and the church.

a strong/high/close correlation

They found evidence of a high correlation between drinking and violence.

an opening/closing ceremony (= at the beginning or end of a special event )

I stayed for the closing ceremony.

be close to an agreement (= have almost reached an agreement )

Management and unions are close to an agreement about pay.

be close to/on the verge of tears (= be almost crying )

He could see that May was close to tears.

be/come close to the truth

The book comes a little too close to the truth for their liking.

bridge/close/narrow the gap (= reduce the amount or importance of a difference )

The book aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

The policies are designed to close the gap between rich and poor.

bring sth to a close (= especially a meeting )

At last the meeting was brought to a close.

close a file

You may need to close the file and restart the computer.

close a meeting (= end it )

He closed the meeting by saying, ‘I think we have made great progress.’

close association

his close association with the Green Party

close behind/not far behind

He set off down the road with the rest of us following close behind.

close combat (= in which you are very near your opponent )

Swords and spears were used for close combat.

close consultation (= in which people, groups etc discuss something carefully together )

The changes followed close consultation with government officials.

close contact (= communicating with sb often )

I like to stay in close contact with my parents.

close cooperation

We work together in close cooperation to provide the best possible service.

close encounter (= a frightening situation in which you get too close to something )

a close encounter with a snake

close link

the close link between teacher and student

close reading (= when you read it very carefully )

a close reading of the text

close season

close the border (= prevent people from crossing )

The government moved quickly to close the border.

close (= with each team playing equally well )

Germany won the match, although it was close.

close (= one which someone wins by a very small amount )

The race was a close contest between two evenly matched crews.

close

Many Japanese favor closer relations with the U.S.

close

Laura had a very close relationship with her grandmother.

close/careful supervision

Children were allowed out only under close supervision.

close/careful/detailed observation

A lot of useful knowledge is gained by careful observation of the world around you.

close/close-knit family (= spending a lot of time together and supporting each other )

Laura's family are very close.

close/conclude a deal formal (= agree a deal formally )

A deal between the two companies has now been concluded.

closed captioned

closed circuit television

closed economy

closed season

closed shop

close/distant cousin

The Alaskan brown bear is a close cousin of the grizzly bear.

closed/shut

All the windows were closed.

close/intense scrutiny (= very careful scrutiny )

Both these areas of law have come under close scrutiny by the courts.

close/plug a loophole (= change something so that there is no longer a loophole )

The president is eager to close tax loopholes for foreign companies.

close/shut a drawer

She shut the drawer and locked it with a small key.

close/shut a gate

Please close the gate.

close/shut a window

She shut the window firmly.

close/shut (down) a factory

The factory was closed down in 2006.

close/shut your eyes

Joe closed his eyes and tried to get back to sleep.

closest allies

Ridley was one of the Queen’s closest allies .

close/strong ties

He had developed close ties with many Republican governors.

close/tight

Most people were predicting a close race.

closing date

The closing date for applications is 6 August.

closing time

Come...closer

Come a bit closer and you’ll be able to see better.

darkness closes in literary (= it becomes darker outside )

The rain turned to snow and darkness closed in.

draw/close/pull the curtains (= close them )

The room was dark because the curtains were drawn.

good/close/effective etc working relationship

We have a close working relationship with other voluntary groups.

have sth open/closed/on etc

I had my eyes half-closed.

Janice likes to have the window open.

She had her back to the door.

hold sb close/tightly (= with your arms around someone )

Max held her close and wiped away her tears.

in close proximity (= very near to each other )

Here the rich and the poor live in close proximity .

in close touch with

A head-teacher needs to remain in close touch with teachers’ everyday concerns.

in close touch

I’m in close touch with Anna.

in quick/rapid/close succession (= quickly one after the other )

He fired two shots in quick succession.

on closer examination

On closer examination, I could see a slight crack in the window.

open/close a bag

The customs officer opened my bag.

open/close/shut the door

I opened the door and Dad was standing there.

Can you close the door as you go out?

open/shut/close your mouth

He opened his mouth wide so the doctor could examine his throat.

perilously close

Karpov, the champion, came perilously close to losing.

sb's closest competitor ( also sb's nearest competitor British English ) (= sb's main competitor )

He had five times as many votes as his nearest competitor.

sb's nearest/closest rival (= the one that is closest to beating them )

She finished 7.1 seconds ahead of her nearest rival.

sb’s eyes close

She let her eyes close for just a moment.

shut/close with a click

The front door shut with a click.

the closing date (= the last day you can officially do something )

The closing date for applications is April 30th.

the end/close of the century

He was writing his books towards the end of the 19th century.

the last/latter/closing years of sth

He changed his opinion during the last years of his life.

the later/final/closing stages

She was well cared for during the final stages of her life.

the nearest/closest equivalent

The corner store was the closest equivalent we had to a supermarket when I was young.

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ NOUN

book

He closed the book and slipped it into a polythene bag.

Before every architect closes this book in disgust, let me explain.

The Shoah will never be a closed book .

The goal of reading is to be done with it, to be able to close the book and play.

Southworth closed the accounts book , a smile of satisfaction twisting his lips.

I closed the book , touching it gently.

And, by definitively closing the book on the past, the language of socialism also remains trapped in Stalinism's wreckage.

She closed the book and peered up at him over the frame of her reading glasses.

border

Neighbouring countries have closed their borders .

Instead, we latch on to shortsighted, shallow solutions, like closing our borders and becoming isolationists.

Will his ideology make him close the border , or will economic self-interest keep it open, at least for a time?

Will the West cling to the idea of universal worth while selfishly consuming Arab oil wealth and closing its borders to Arabs?

deal

I enjoy closing a deal 5a.

He talks and talks, compromises and compromises, until he closes a deal .

In the heart of the city, Bob Scott is further still from closing a deal .

Many will offer low-interest loans, tax breaks or whatever else it takes to close a deal .

Novell expects to close the deal in the first quarter of 1993.

Grace said it expects to close the deal in the quarter beginning July 1.

When agreement is reached close the deal quickly and immediately confirm the agreed terms in writing in a heads of agreement.

They hope to close the deal by year-end, but that may be too optimistic.

door

She stalked away from the front door and it closed softly behind him.

Harriet waited until the door had closed after her and flicked the button, feeling oddly apprehensive.

They were waiting for him, and the bedroom door was closed .

The door was closed , the curtains drawn against the morning sunlight.

A door closed , the window panes shook.

The back door closes , swings shut, drives me to place myself inside it.

There was a single narrow window opening on a shaded garden and when the door was closed it was difficult to see.

file

Asa Vaughan closed the file and looked up.

Zaborski closed the file and pressed a button under his desk.

When I finally closed the file , it was dark outside.

Li Shai Tung closed the file with a sigh.

Hilary Robarts, the Acting Administrative Officer, had already closed her file .

A statement used to close a data file .

You should also close data files before chaining another program.

gap

But it has closed the gap slightly.

In recent years, California sparkling wines have been closing the style gap as well.

With Lauda sidelined, the way was open for Hunt to close the gap even further.

Women are closing the math gap .

If Jackie were to close the gap , it would have to be at the Nürburgring.

That might close the gap between media and players.

He is notable for closing the usual gap between commercial and personal work.

With a few exceptions, it was not until the 1960s that large companies in Britain began to close the gap .

gate

In 1963, the Bureau closed the gates of Glen Canyon Dam.

Once I was outside, I left the engine running and ran back to close the gate .

Development, so denied, often results in closed gates , bad affect, boredom, and mindlessness among students and teachers.

The Rifleman ducked under the arch, then waited as Harper closed the two heavy gates .

The closed gate suddenly seemed miles away.

They could close the gates and have him bottled up.

Affect is the gatekeeper and determines whether the gates are open or closed .

market

The market says close the pits.

Quantum announced its results after the market closed .

When the market closed in 1974, the piazza narrowly survived being turned into an office development.

Microsoft released the earnings after the market closed .

The announcement came minutes before the market closed .

The bond market was closed yesterday for the Martin Luther King holiday.

If the futures price falls below the lower limit of the band, the market will close limit-down.

The results were released after the stock market closed .

mind

The humiliation of her position was boundless, and she tried to close her mind to her awful predicament.

My eyes are closed but my mind is open.

Bambi's closed her mind to it.

Memories of her grandmother's judgements obtruded themselves and she closed her mind against them.

She stretched out on the bed, closing her mind to the sounds and waited.

She had immediately closed her mind to all thought, not even realising how tightly she had been gripping fitzAlan's hand.

I closed my ears and tried to close my mind to what was happening.

mouth

Because of its reduced jaws, its teeth often fail to meet properly when the mouth is closed .

Cut small pieces and chew methodically with your mouth totally closed .

His mouth remained closed in favour of the second mouth conveniently nearer the lungs.

Rin Tin Tin barked in sync, but the cowboys kept talking long after their mouths were closed .

Harriet pressed a hand to her mouth and closed her eyes.

Glover opened his mouth and then closed it.

plant

The group is closing the St Austell plant despite recent capital investment and numerous employment initiatives.

Should you close an antiquated plant , retool it, or sell it?

Do firms close their branch plants before their headquarters?

The engineering firm, Meco is to close its plant at Ashchurch near Tewkesbury, making around 350 staff redundant.

Tavlin also speculated there may be cost savings from closing manufacturing plants .

Anheuser-Busch even threatened to close its St Louis plant if the tax measure passed, though nobody believed that.

They closed a few plants and decided to use the idle machinery to make plastic chips for cigarette filters.

school

I will attempt to do this with reference to the issue of the social consequences of closing primary schools in rural areas.

The giggling spread like wildfire, and eventually forced the closing of some schools .

Come holiday time, Stanley closed the school and was off north quicker than you could say algebra.

In 1989 the town had voted down a petition to close the school and bus the seventeen Granville students to Rochester Elementary.

Everywhere you look there are operations cancelled, old people's homes closed down, and schools struggling to cope.

People were trapped in elevators, businesses closed early, and schools sent students home.

Mary Read closed the school after providing one final line-up in the Princetown Follies in 1935.

I have suggested that many people believe that there is a valid way of life argument against closing any rural primary school .

shop

Mr Evans closed the shop for an extra half hour and brought out a bottle of sherry.

And retailers, caught betwixt the two, were perplexed and losing money, if not closing up shop for good.

Arthur Davidson has closed his London antique shop of that name under pressure of mounting debt.

Ezra hurried by the closed shops toward the river; back along Canal Street to the Hotel Rehoboth.

At lunch-time she closed the shop for an hour or longer, and shut up at five-thirty.

It was at ten minutes to nine when she decided to close up the shop .

Surely they must be about to close the bomb shop down.

window

She would have closed the window , except that then Anna would probably be unable to sleep for the heat.

Billy closed the window and hid the sticky spoon.

Here, be a sport, could you close that window ?

The warmth inside made them lively, and they started bouncing against the closed windows .

Why didn't you just say no and close the window ?

Faintly, through the closed window , I could hear the barking of Angus.

Stopped Thousands of residents were ordered to stay indoors and close all windows before the alert was finally called off.

I close the window again with a smug smile on my face, and wait for the next battalion of eager buzzers.

■ VERB

force

They've been transferred from Princess Margaret Hospital in Swindon, where hospital managers have been forced to close three operating theatres.

None of these factors actually forced the school to close , Olson later told Duberman.

The consumer spending crisis has forced many women to close down their businesses.

The giggling spread like wildfire, and eventually forced the closing of some schools.

Read in studio Former drug abusers fear addicts could die if a rehabilitation centre is forced to close .

The hospital claims that would mean 20 job losses, forcing the unit to close .

Her jaw clenches as if she has to force it open and closed to get out each word.

open

There are tales of clanking chains and doors which open and close of their own volition.

I heard Ted in the bedroom, a drawer opening and closing .

Any campaign to attract students to history should emphasise how its study can open many doors while closing few.

People chattering, doors opening and closing , loud male greetings, the level of noise rising.

There was the rattle and heavy clunk of a fridge door being opened and closed .

Principals in New York can not tell school custodians when to open and close their schools-much less discipline or fire them.

It is this spirit and this very music which opens and closes Janácek's opera From the house of the dead.

The opening closed , they A deeper, groaning.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

(hard/hot/close) on sb's heels

(hard/hot/close) on the heels of sth

Critique followed hot on the heels of this pioneering work.

On the heels of this came Mr J. to tell us that young Mrs P. had had her thighbone crushed.

Then it seemed that the consummation would follow soon on the heels of its inauguration.

With another couple of laps he might have finished close on the heels of the two Dunlops.

a close shave

And so we all had a close shave once a term.

Had a close shave by the looks of you.

He seemed pale and in need of a closer shave .

I had to rinse quite often to get rid of debris, but it did give a close shave .

Now the challenge is complete, he is considering a close shave , probably in the name of charity.

a closed book

But your own past can be a closed book , even at fourteen.

He is holding a closed book , signifying a mystery, possibly a stage in the alchemical process.

I can not believe that it can be right that this late in the game Poetry is still a closed book .

I tell myself it's a closed book , but my cover story becomes an old man's compensation.

Linear preoccupation in the past remains a closed book to modern understanding.

The highly organised St Stephen's Society programme which she now leads was at that time a closed book to her!

The kitchenette is a closed book .

The Shoah will never be a closed book .

a closed book (to sb)

But your own past can be a closed book, even at fourteen.

He is holding a closed book, signifying a mystery, possibly a stage in the alchemical process.

I can not believe that it can be right that this late in the game Poetry is still a closed book.

I tell myself it's a closed book, but my cover story becomes an old man's compensation.

Linear preoccupation in the past remains a closed book to modern understanding.

The highly organised St Stephen's Society programme which she now leads was at that time a closed book to her!

The kitchenette is a closed book.

The Shoah will never be a closed book.

a closed set (of sth)

behind closed doors

Although America is a democracy, a lot of key decisions are made behind closed doors by unelected advisers.

The board members met behind closed doors to discuss the deal.

And, unlike most other House panels, the ethics committee conducts virtually all of its business behind closed doors.

As the jurors deliberated behind closed doors, the judge huddled with lawyers from both sides in his chambers.

Real's punishment was to play subsequent matches behind closed doors.

Schmoke spent most of his time behind closed doors.

The hearings are behind closed doors, Newsweek says, and it has not discovered the names of the companies implicated.

We think, but we don't really know what they were saying to each other behind closed doors.

can do sth with your eyes shut/closed

close to the bone

close to the mark

close/dear to sb's heart

His latest challenge is on a smaller scale, but it's much closer to his heart .

I hold you near, close to my heart , There's so much for me to give, Where to begin?

It is one that lies close to the heart of any study of the interaction of religion and society.

One subject is obviously dear to Schofield's heart - the captaincy of Great Britain and Leeds.

Other songs: Include Stainsby Girls, inspired by a Middlesbrough school close to his heart .

The electrification of the network, a topic close to Lenin's heart , was discussed in the pages of Gudok.

The President would go to Williamsburg, Virginia, a place close to his heart .

close/packed/crowded etc together

The Beastline were standing close together , silhouetted against the sky.

The main street in Lincoln is narrow, and the little houses are close together .

These horses show relaxed, peaceful outlines, with friends standing particularly close together .

They stood close together in silence, listening.

Though they are close together on the couch, there is in fact a chasm between them.

We draw close together to complete our plans.

close/shut your ears to sth

At first, I closed my ears to what I did not want to hear.

Claudia sank down on to her bed and tried to shut her ears to the sound of him in the next room.

Don't close your ears to the world and don't give up.

He tried to close his ears to the plea.

Rincewind tried to shut his ears to the grating voice beside him.

She heard the boys hurling abuse at her, shouting to her to stop, but she shut her ears to them.

She wanted to close her ears to it.

Sometimes she even managed to shut her ears to the arguments going on around her.

close/shut your eyes to sth

We can't close our eyes to the fact that our town has a gang problem.

I've closed my eyes to your activities long enough.

If we must sometimes close our eyes to open them in the myth dimension, so be it.

On a sob Ruth swallowed hard and closed her eyes to the burning sun overhead.

On the other hand the very same development increases their tendency to close their eyes to the future.

Prayer May we never become so worldly that we close our eyes to the miracle and mystery of life.

The need to push came again, and Jane closed her eyes to concentrate.

They could not shut their eyes to the ugly and degrading side of wine-drinking and see only the delightful side.

Turning off the light, she slid back under the covers and closed her eyes to sleep fitfully until noon.

keep (close) tabs on sb/sth

He keeps tabs on everyone in the building.

A psychologist will keep tabs on teams of youngsters and will stop the operation if they show signs of stress.

About the world Lenny Wilkens has been keeping tabs on world events, and one thing is clear.

Although so little was heard from them, those who kept tabs on them were convinced that they were slowly fading away.

Anne Dickson, a local politician, said people had been keeping tabs on Hamilton for years.

But trappers will keep tabs on the extra traps until February, officials said.

If she asked, he would accuse her of nagging, of wanting to keep tabs on him.

They patrol land and keep tabs on the gangs after tip offs from gamekeepers and farmers.

We try to keep close tabs on our boys in blue.

move in/close in for the kill

play/keep your cards close to your chest

shut/close the door on sth

A loss in this election will not necessarily close the door on the campaign.

Come in, lads, come in and shut the door on the fog.

Even so, Wickham was not ready to shut the door on the possibility.

Imagine asking that they close the door on me so I can see what it feels like.

It watched her, unwinking, until she reached the room behind the shop and shut the door on its crimson gaze.

Lucker murmurs something to Jasper and leads him away closing the door on me.

She closed the door on them.

The previous owner had used a bathroom off one of the bedrooms as storage and simply closed the door on it.

shut/close the stable door after the horse has bolted

too close/near for comfort

At times, the similarities are too close for comfort , edging towards the derivative.

But our last memory was of a nightingale pair, singing in competition in territories perhaps too close for comfort .

Cross-addictions may be hotly denied because the subject matter may for some be too close for comfort .

In a wave trough I caught a glimpse of a coral head to port: a little too close for comfort .

Lightning dipped and veered in a manner which was far too close for comfort .

Richard, and you quite see why, finds economy airline seats too close for comfort .

The movement brought him too close for comfort .

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

Close all applications before shutting down your computer.

Close the curtains - it's getting dark.

After 85 years, the local newspaper closed down last month.

Ann closed her book and stood up.

Do you mind if I close the window?

Hundreds of timber mills have been closed since World War II.

Most of the stores close at 6:30.

Okay, close your eyes and make a wish.

She took the necklace out of the box and closed the lid.

The cut should close up within a few days.

The door closed silently behind Mariko.

The hotel is closed in the winter.

The legislation closes a lot of loopholes in the tax law.

The novel closes when the family reunites in Prague.

The special offer for tickets closes June 3.

WalMart shares closed only 4 cents down.

What time does the mall close tonight?

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

Anheuser-Busch even threatened to close its St Louis plant if the tax measure passed, though nobody believed that.

It's closing down ... declared a fire safety risk ... only a few years after it was reopened.

The first shock was that the mill closed.

The pension fund was broke, the mines were closed, and it looked like the moon.

The play opens Monday and is scheduled to close March 20.

When he finishes his supper, the boy tucks the lunch box back into a shopping bag and closes his eyes.

II. adjective

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADVERB

much

Probably they would have lost all the same, but another bowler might have made it much closer .

In fact, however, the experiences of men and women are much closer than most people realize.

If women were evenly distributed across the spectrum of employment, their pay levels would be much closer to those of men.

The game is much closer than it should be.

This year, however, Britain has been faced by a tyrant much closer to home.

It wasn't the truth awaiting her at the château that she feared, but one much closer to home.

And almost immediately after that she realised that Julius had moved much closer .

But according to his campaign manager Mr Brian Fisk, it's all much closer to home than it was in 1966.

perilously

Twice I ran perilously close to the edge, my eyes dazzled and eyelids drooping.

I was perilously close to being touched once and for all.

In the middle of the game Kasparov, seemed perilously close to a loss.

He was perilously close to losing control over House Republicans, especially the newly-elected class of 73 right-wing ideologues.

Are you aware that you're getting perilously close to slander?

But he was perilously close to the edge of the crumbling cliff.

During the battle five Troll Slayers distinguished themselves by attacking and destroying three Trolls which were perilously close to crushing Duregar himself.

Last season's away form led to flirting with relegation and we went perilously close .

quite

He gripped the wheel tightly and held his face quite close to the windscreen.

Bullets were passing quite close overhead, and one ricocheted off a front mudguard.

Where I live at present is bounded by two rivers and is quite close to the sea.

Magee could make out two figures crouched on the steps near the top, quite close to the door of the church.

Then she heard the sound of a car - quite close .

They were attractive-looking animals and they often allowed us to get quite close .

I had an accident quite close to the gates and Jorge came to get me and helped me back.

It had seemed a long way away, but in some ways it might be quite close .

so

We were so close - weren't we?

The hairs on his forearm brushed hers, he sat so close .

He did not like the fact that his potential assassins had got so close to the Hotel where he was staying.

She hadn't realised that they were so close .

Help had been so close - and the disappointment was all the greater for it.

Furious as he undoubtedly was with her, she still felt a thrill to be so close to him.

Balder Head farmhouse was so close to the reservoir that the water lapped up to the garden wall.

In the meantime because he lay so close to them Tom was able to hear and see most of what went on.

too

On the other hand, supper sounded too close to bedtime for his liking.

Avoid getting too close to them and certainly don't try to wrestle with them or restrain them.

The moorings are too close to town centre.

Even the car keys or a belt buckle may upset things if placed too close .

Never sit too close to fires.

From here they can move forward to interpose themselves when the enemy is too close .

very

You do business with my daddy, you're very close to him in that way.

I think this is going to be a very close game and one that will be decided by mistakes.&038;.

Rod himself admits that he's been very close to arrest.

His eyes searching hers from very close quarters, he chuckled when she hastily lowered her lashes.

In another very close team event Wallasey just beat the Menai Straits one design club by a quarter point.

The two brothers were very close and no writer I can think of has such a hatred of death as Canetti.

He looked as if he'd taken both barrels into his chest at very close range.

Consider this as simply a very close and enjoyable relationship in order to answer the following question.

■ NOUN

ally

The result is that poverty and retirement are usually close allies .

The two countries are close allies .

Cleveland was a close ally of Dorsheimer and an admirer of Olmsted.

The United States, formerly President Barre's close ally , has abandoned him.

A close ally of Clinton, he led his election campaign in Mississippi.

When they failed, Aristide chose a close ally , Rene Preval, as his successor.

associate

It had a close associate in Col.

Salameh was a close associate of the alleged mastermind of the Trade Center bombing, Ramzi Yousef.

In April 1959 Castro, despite the misgivings of some of his close associates , visited the United States.

Almost all were close associates of Mulroney.

The family was later to be among Gloucester's closest associates .

Zhang Gong, both close associates of Yang Baibing, were appointed commander and political commissar, respectively.

association

Most of the teaching was offered in small tutorial groups with close association between staff and students.

By its close association with women.

Forming a close association with them was ruled out.

That began a close association between the two, with the artist applying himself assiduously to the theories of his friend.

Coupled with his close association with medicine, it explains why he decided to follow the career of scientist and natural philosopher.

It shows the close association that can exist between organic chemical synthesis and clay surfaces.

The close association with the university teaching programs which prepare future teachers of exceptional children. 2.

attention

Pay close attention to the sweep pattern and strokes, and this will eventually become second nature.

The result of such close attention being paid to community is a growing sense of responsibility on the part of the students.

In later chapters we shall give this aspect of the book closer attention .

But agents paid closer attention than they did before and watched for reactions.

The former Prime Minister watched the results with close attention .

They eschewed grand schemes of schematic explanation, preferring empirical explorations of the particular, with close attention to analyzing function.

They certainly pay close attention to one another's progress, frequently glancing from side to side to check on each other's position.

He enters freely into public debate from his close attention to most subjects, but he is no Orator.

call

Sydney's closest call operating out of Rendcomb was in a Brisfit shortly after his arrival.

This was surely a close call !

If you are a Swindon fan, you're bias of course, but it was a close call .

Afterward, when he came down for his evening meal, we talked about the close call .

But it had been a close call .

You can only have so many close calls for your luck to run out.

He left the ground via a close call with an ambulance and came very close to running over your correspondent.

Two days before, there had been a close call .

connection

This suggests again the close connection between property regulations and marriage patterns.

It simply establishes a much closer connection between the process of socialization and its symbolic consequences.

And there is a particularly close connection in the case we are considering.

Domestic drama had a close connection with the growing spirit of dissatisfaction with existing social, economic, religious and political conditions.

Campaigners boosted the impact of their warnings by drawing a close connection between the fly and the home.

There is a close connection between the learning process and the development of a thinking, reasoning self.

Because of its close connection with metaphor, simile may also be considered here.

During the recent years after the war the university rose in national importance and always had a close connection with the bishop.

contact

Behavior is a discouraging field because we are in such close contact with it.

First, the concept of advisory reduces school size by putting students in close contact with a single faculty member.

The churches themselves began reorganizing their affairs, often removing those officials who had close contact with the previous regime.

Children must operate for the first time in close contact with individuals to whom they are not related.

In addition, some packaging which comes into close contact with food has implications on human health and quality of food.

By maintaining close contact with produce companies, Fahey secures the freshest ingredients for his menu.

It has been a privilege to enjoy close contact with the College and so many Somervillians.

There was also continuing close contact between Eadwine's court and that of Eadbald, king of Kent.

cooperation

With his death the close cooperation between these two organisations, initiated by Ayliffe and William McDougall, came to an end.

Even so, a spirit of close cooperation and bonhomie was generated, contributing much to the success of the Workshop.

We must all work together in close cooperation to provide the best possible service for our clients.

Finally, we emphasise that close cooperation between microbiologists and clinicians is important.

All parents are made to feel welcome as we fully appreciate the value of close cooperation between home and School.

To many, the postwar economic problems of the continent demanded a substantial element of very close cooperation .

She hoped that the two countries would develop a better relationship and undertake closer cooperation .

The organisation of this has only been possible with the close cooperation and support of District Managers, and their designated staff.

encounter

The designer's close encounter of severe illness had a profound influence on his scheme.

Retired Willcox schoolteacher Joe Duhon has had several close encounters with the Playa, but he keeps going back.

The pain is severe and no predator would risk a second close encounter with these snakes.

We also shared a cou-ple of close encounters with danger.

In a close encounter last season, Gloucester pipped Northampton by 7 points to 6.

I've twice had close encounters of a nasty kind with flying lead.

Desert Orchid and a close encounter of the short kind.

For those unexpected close encounters , breath refresher capsules can be a real life-saver.

examination

The imp of hell appeared on closer examination to be a neglected child.

But on closer examination , they reflect the 2560-15 percent breakdown.

The analysis involves close examination of a sample of markets in which significant entry has occurred.

But close examination showed that species intolerant of acid conditions or high nitrogen levels were not reappearing.

First, some challenges, although important and pressing, turn out on closer examination to be neither new nor different.

At a distance many species look similar and only closer examination reveals the difference.

But although this is at first appealing, on closer examination the concept is somewhat flawed.

eye

Maybe the DOS-based Personal Finance Planner will help us keep a closer eye on those disappearing thousands.

To be sure, investors should keep a close eye on indicators of problem loans, analysts said.

You do need to keep a closer eye on suppliers when you're buying more equipment in a single purchase.

Naturally we kept a close eye on our two new masts to see if they would make any difference.

I assure the Minister that we shall keep a close eye on these sales.

Republicans will keep a close eye on funding for education and training.

There were not so many lights and Endill kept a close eye on the Headmaster in case he became lost in the darkness.

Still, keep a close eye on those Netkids.

family

Having himself come from a close family he did not at first regard his wife's involvement with Chloe as unusual.

Limits are placed on phone calls and visits with close family members.

Most likely there will be some one in the close family or a reliable friend.

Only close family members attended the service, some of whom say that his body showed signs of torture.

Do you play better in front of close family ?

She had no close family nearby.

Another 25 percent of abusers were close family relatives such as brothers, uncles and grandfathers.

The groom and his close family took their places, cross-legged, on the matting beside the trunk of wedding gifts.

friend

He was quite fearless ... he was an inspiration ... he was my closest friend , my strength and shield.

Leckie, a close friend of Symington, may know the details.

He soon became a close friend of my parents and was later godfather to my brother Brian.

Joe, on the other hand, was a close friend of Jack Kennedy, and an even closer friend of Jackie.

But her closest friends remained those she had made in the Hollywood and New York film worlds.

It contained a note from Dermot Kinane, an ex-jockey who had been a close friend of the family in Ireland.

He was hired for these qualities and also because his father-in-law is a real estate expert and a close friend .

friendship

Likewise, close friendships sometimes alter when one friend retires - and not the other.

Rosen has worked politically for Kennedy since his 1980 presidential primary run and developed a close friendship with the senator.

Learning to play with other children and to form close friendships with some of them is a vital part of growing up.

Moses, 24, has a close friendship with Keim, 17, who won her first national title.

Eline envied the close friendship the two so obviously enjoyed.

But now Joe was more presentable, and he formed a close friendship with both Katharine and Phil Graham.

Diana's close friendship with the bachelor was revealed in sensational tapes published this summer.

Joe and Chip became acquainted through club functions and developed a close friendship .

inspection

Even apparent moves by the regime to resolve the crisis turn out on closer inspection to be nothing of the kind.

On close inspection , the unpleasant truths an organization is afraid to tell often turn out to be not all that abhorrent.

These skills have the effect of laying children open to closer inspection and increase their vulnerability through peer appraisal and criticism.

A close inspection reveals that in a past life they were oxygen tanks.

On closer inspection , in fact, the evidence tilts further towards the reassuring.

On close inspection it looks more like the second touring production of Absurd Person Singular after a long spell in Pitlochry.

Executives sometimes find that, on close inspection , the complaints made against them are misconceived.

On closer inspection , however, the Middleborough mosaic does reveal some inconsistencies.

links

Jane Madders, the author, has had close links with the Medau Society.

The goal of all Catholic schools must be to build close links with both partners.

With improved personal relationships, however, steps have been taken in the last few years towards closer links .

He is exploring closer links with Diocesan and other denominational youth bodies which overlap in their aims.

Mr Shirley reckons that the greatest of these will be developing closer links with customers.

There were close links between the alchemists and the gnostics, and for the gnostics the picture was bleaker still.

Six priests took part in the Mass all of whom had had close links with him during his ministry.

This strategy has produced the following results: The college now has close links with 65 institutions across 16 countries.

look

It might be out of bounds, but the temptation to take a slightly closer look was a temptation she could not resist.

A closer look reveals a galaxy of gossamer threads that reach out to anchor the organism to rocks or other surfaces.

I cautiously take a closer look .

And like complete idiots, we yearned for a close look .

Get it out and take a close look at it.

Later, we take a close look at the city of Edinburgh and the local scenery.

A close look at the points listed in Table 4.1 will show the level of confusion operating.

proximity

Its small form factor allows two computers, in close proximity , to double up on the 10BaseT hub.

But Pam absorbed more than the luxuries of life from her close proximity to men in power.

Anyone can enter paintings in any style, and the lucky winners get hung, in rather close proximity , and sold.

Bormann followed the simple principle of always remaining in the closest proximity to the source of all grace and favor.

Organizational structure was driven by the necessity of having skilled negotiators in close proximity .

Locked in the cell of himself, each specialist sees only that which lies within his close proximity .

Persinger has suggested that these reports might be hallucinations instilled into the witnesses by the effect of ionising radiation in close proximity .

Stretching plus folding lead to mixing by distancing neighboring points and bringing distant points into close proximity .

range

David Byrne fired in a cross from the right and Grant shrugged off Richard Gough to shoot home from close range .

Fornek got a second chance at close range as Gingrich was leaving the luncheon.

The big defender's low drive from close range was blocked and then cleared by the alert Severin.

This resonant condition permitted Mariner 10 to fly by Mercury at close range at the times of alternate perihelion passages.

They were at it again within two minutes of the restart, as Shaun Bartlett fired over from close range .

And Murdoch was again Thistle's hero when he blocked a close range shot from Trevor Steven.

Speak made it 3-2 for Ballymena Utd in the second minute of injury time with a goal from close range .

The cause of death was a shotgun blast at close range , and police are now investigating the illegal killing.

relation

Much safer to stick to one's close relations .

Social systems evolve in close relation to ecology.

Children's own free play is not in itself drama, although it's a close relation .

She said she had no close relations to bother about on her husband's side and only the Evans on hers.

He was, however, a pragmatist and a realist who favoured close relations with the United States.

Because the government abandoned any formal incomes policy there was less call for it to maintain close relations with union leaders.

A similarly close relation ship may be seen between ivory and some of the most important precious stones used in antiquity.

Equally, the state has helped to maintain the structure of capital markets which promote closer relations between financial and industrial capital.

relationship

If so, the purr helps to establish and maintain a close relationship .

The close relationship maintained by the consultant in instructional media use with the classroom teacher. 2.

They also provide circumstantial evidence for a close relationship between mind and brain.

This is the main reason politicians have few close relationships of any kind.

Some women who have always had a career only get to think about the need for closer relationships after that finishes.

What the Bank wanted was a closer relationship with banks' auditors.

Intuitively, there is thus a close relationship between the behaviour of a process and those of its finite syntactic approximations.

The variety of close relationships with which people end their lives should be acknowledged.

relative

People wishing to emigrate would no longer need to prove that they had close relatives in the destination country.

Even our closest relatives , the chimpanzees, are guilty.

Very few doctors will resist constant requests for this from close relatives .

All of its close relatives except one make the whine but not the chuck.

The caller asks if she can be informed as gently as possible that a very close relative has died.

One woman told me of a particular year in which seven close relatives died.

It had been established as a close relative of adrenaline, named noradrenaline, late in the 1940s.

She also said she would try to communicate more openly with her close relatives and friends.

scrutiny

Just warn your friend Martin to be extra careful, because everything he does is under close scrutiny .

Federal Trade Commission officials would not comment on the deal, but are expected by industry experts to give it close scrutiny .

I had a feeling that his logic would not bear close scrutiny but was too numb to argue with the ancient greenkeeper.

True, most of these beliefs contain grains of truth, but their omnipotent power does not survive close scrutiny .

Other popular myths also fail to withstand close scrutiny .

She said the elections department is under close scrutiny now.

From close scrutiny , it soon emerges that they all have several features in common.

Nelson's detailed account is well worth close scrutiny for it illustrates many aspects of socio-ecology most cogently.

season

He is one of nine players given winter contracts designed to prevent them seeking employment elsewhere during the close season .

Last close season one of the small drains that I fish ran very clear.

During the close season in 1990 the unthinkable happened.

During the close season in 1974 a dry moat had been constructed and new barriers installed.

Sheffield-born left-back Beresford came close to becoming a Liverpool player during the close season - until the Anfield side pulled out.

Weekends we're usually booked up in advance, you see, even in the close season .

And there will be no close seasons !

second

Acid House comes a close second to football fans in the tabloids' top ten of moral panics.

Business is a close second in its neglect of children, leaving workers without sufficient family time.

Put to the test, we suspect the anti-bat vote would be a close second to the anti-rat faction.

An irresistible attraction to destructive men ran a close second .

Sea bream, with shallot and red wine sauce, comes a close second in the restaurant.

Etzioni and Ward a close second and Nisbet and Fontana less promising in these selected books by them.

His hero is Jefferson, but the reporters always imagined that George Gallup ran a close second .

thing

At Anfield last Saturday they made the final curtain safely, but it was a close thing .

He was the closest thing to underage.

It is the closest thing to a real arm available in medical science.

The closest thing to it in Beavis and Butthead is Tom Anderson, the old guy.

Fitt was the closest thing to a socialist in the party.

This incident is the closest thing to action that there is in this book.

Well to me, being on stage is the closest thing to actually making love, you know.

It was certainly the closest thing in our town to what I later learned was pentecostal worship.

tie

Glasgow had close ties of blood and interest with the Southern States of the Confederacy.

But administration officials and other sources now concede that Alispahic remains an influential figure with close ties to Izetbegovic.

The piece was purchased from the private collection of Ruth Blumka, a New York dealer with close ties to the museum.

Some freeholders were just as keen as was the average burgh councillor to retain close ties with the government ministers.

We view skin-to-skin care as a major advance in helping parents develop a closer tie to their infant.

touch

Sherfey thinks women need to be in closer touch with their life purpose of caring for the species.

He had not kept in close touch with the performers who had danced in his first little group.

He told Parmenter he would stay in close touch with Guy Banister.

To monitor their responses we have kept in close touch with each family's health visitor.

He's in close touch with his employees, knowing many of them by their first names.

Fifty years ago they were in closer touch .

McGuinness is more hard-line than Adams and reckoned to be in closer touch with the mood of die-hard republicans.

watch

I've had a fairly close watch kept on me.

If not, why should Lalla Faqiha have kept such close watch on me and beaten me with such vindictiveness?

Neurosurgeons have successfully moved a blood clot from her brain and are keeping a close watch on her.

The inspector kept close watch of their arms and equipments and clothing.

They tend, however, to keep a closer watch on discharges which are potentially highly polluting or large in volume.

As mentioned earlier, there are alternatives for those keeping a close watch on their cholesterol.

Bastide had been released grudgingly by the Sûreté with Chesnais insisting that a close watch be kept on him.

Fortunately Scott was reasonably obedient as long as some one kept a close watch over him.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

(hard/hot/close) on sb's heels

(hard/hot/close) on the heels of sth

Critique followed hot on the heels of this pioneering work.

On the heels of this came Mr J. to tell us that young Mrs P. had had her thighbone crushed.

Then it seemed that the consummation would follow soon on the heels of its inauguration.

With another couple of laps he might have finished close on the heels of the two Dunlops.

a close shave

And so we all had a close shave once a term.

Had a close shave by the looks of you.

He seemed pale and in need of a closer shave .

I had to rinse quite often to get rid of debris, but it did give a close shave .

Now the challenge is complete, he is considering a close shave , probably in the name of charity.

a closed book

But your own past can be a closed book , even at fourteen.

He is holding a closed book , signifying a mystery, possibly a stage in the alchemical process.

I can not believe that it can be right that this late in the game Poetry is still a closed book .

I tell myself it's a closed book , but my cover story becomes an old man's compensation.

Linear preoccupation in the past remains a closed book to modern understanding.

The highly organised St Stephen's Society programme which she now leads was at that time a closed book to her!

The kitchenette is a closed book .

The Shoah will never be a closed book .

can do sth with your eyes shut/closed

close to the bone

close to the mark

close/dear to sb's heart

His latest challenge is on a smaller scale, but it's much closer to his heart .

I hold you near, close to my heart , There's so much for me to give, Where to begin?

It is one that lies close to the heart of any study of the interaction of religion and society.

One subject is obviously dear to Schofield's heart - the captaincy of Great Britain and Leeds.

Other songs: Include Stainsby Girls, inspired by a Middlesbrough school close to his heart .

The electrification of the network, a topic close to Lenin's heart , was discussed in the pages of Gudok.

The President would go to Williamsburg, Virginia, a place close to his heart .

close/packed/crowded etc together

The Beastline were standing close together , silhouetted against the sky.

The main street in Lincoln is narrow, and the little houses are close together .

These horses show relaxed, peaceful outlines, with friends standing particularly close together .

They stood close together in silence, listening.

Though they are close together on the couch, there is in fact a chasm between them.

We draw close together to complete our plans.

close/shut your ears to sth

At first, I closed my ears to what I did not want to hear.

Claudia sank down on to her bed and tried to shut her ears to the sound of him in the next room.

Don't close your ears to the world and don't give up.

He tried to close his ears to the plea.

Rincewind tried to shut his ears to the grating voice beside him.

She heard the boys hurling abuse at her, shouting to her to stop, but she shut her ears to them.

She wanted to close her ears to it.

Sometimes she even managed to shut her ears to the arguments going on around her.

close/shut your eyes to sth

We can't close our eyes to the fact that our town has a gang problem.

I've closed my eyes to your activities long enough.

If we must sometimes close our eyes to open them in the myth dimension, so be it.

On a sob Ruth swallowed hard and closed her eyes to the burning sun overhead.

On the other hand the very same development increases their tendency to close their eyes to the future.

Prayer May we never become so worldly that we close our eyes to the miracle and mystery of life.

The need to push came again, and Jane closed her eyes to concentrate.

They could not shut their eyes to the ugly and degrading side of wine-drinking and see only the delightful side.

Turning off the light, she slid back under the covers and closed her eyes to sleep fitfully until noon.

draw near/closer

As the habeas hearing drew near, Lancaster County officials' concern over these revelations grew noticeable.

As the pair drew near he turned and fled.

As the race drew closer it was time for Paul to take a back seat.

As we drew near and I watched 747 after 747 climbing laboriously into the clouds, I wondered what fate befell me.

Men prosper for a decade, and demons dare not draw near!

The bailiff directed all to draw near and give their attendance, promising that they would be heard.

They drew near the bed and stared down at the boy who lay there sleeping in its drifts of tumbling lace.

Two young boys, of around ten years of age, drawing closer, then parallel, now swiftly passing, past.

draw to a close/end

As the decade drew to a close, it was evident that consumers were fed up.

As the General's visit ended, the competition drew to a close.

As the singing draws to a close, the cousins urge her to make a wish.

But Enterprise Neptune has not drawn to an end with the successful completion of its Silver Jubilee year.

He used to long for his holidays and grow deeply depressed when they drew to an end.

The last of the wine is poured; the meal draws to a close.

The long gray afternoon drew to a close.

The year 1968 drew to a close and with it the life of Londonderry Corporation.

keep (close) tabs on sb/sth

He keeps tabs on everyone in the building.

A psychologist will keep tabs on teams of youngsters and will stop the operation if they show signs of stress.

About the world Lenny Wilkens has been keeping tabs on world events, and one thing is clear.

Although so little was heard from them, those who kept tabs on them were convinced that they were slowly fading away.

Anne Dickson, a local politician, said people had been keeping tabs on Hamilton for years.

But trappers will keep tabs on the extra traps until February, officials said.

If she asked, he would accuse her of nagging, of wanting to keep tabs on him.

They patrol land and keep tabs on the gangs after tip offs from gamekeepers and farmers.

We try to keep close tabs on our boys in blue.

move in/close in for the kill

play your cards close to your chest

Roslin, known for playing his cards close to his vest, declined to comment.

play/keep your cards close to your chest

sail close to the wind

They had quite a reputation for sailing close to the wind.

With his own property, it was perhaps easier too for a baron to take risks or sail close to the wind.

shut/close the door on sth

A loss in this election will not necessarily close the door on the campaign.

Come in, lads, come in and shut the door on the fog.

Even so, Wickham was not ready to shut the door on the possibility.

Imagine asking that they close the door on me so I can see what it feels like.

It watched her, unwinking, until she reached the room behind the shop and shut the door on its crimson gaze.

Lucker murmurs something to Jasper and leads him away closing the door on me.

She closed the door on them.

The previous owner had used a bathroom off one of the bedrooms as storage and simply closed the door on it.

shut/close the stable door after the horse has bolted

too close/near for comfort

At times, the similarities are too close for comfort , edging towards the derivative.

But our last memory was of a nightingale pair, singing in competition in territories perhaps too close for comfort .

Cross-addictions may be hotly denied because the subject matter may for some be too close for comfort .

In a wave trough I caught a glimpse of a coral head to port: a little too close for comfort .

Lightning dipped and veered in a manner which was far too close for comfort .

Richard, and you quite see why, finds economy airline seats too close for comfort .

The movement brought him too close for comfort .

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

Dad and I have always been very close .

I'm still very close to my parents.

It turns out that Julie is a close friend of my cousin Kelly.

Mom and I are a lot closer now than we were when I was a teenager.

My sister and I used to argue a lot, but now we're very close .

On closer examination of the facts it became clear that the boy was innocent.

Our birthdays are close together.

Our job requires close contact with the sales manager.

She was never very close to her stepmother.

Take a close look at this photograph.

The grocery store on Victory Boulevard is closer.

The school encourages close partnerships between teachers and parents.

We have always been a close family.

We haven't finished remodeling the kitchen yet, but we're close .

What we need now is closer cooperation between the sales and marketing staffs.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

Are they in good condition, especially those close to the house?

Bormann followed the simple principle of always remaining in the closest proximity to the source of all grace and favor.

But the Gulf of California is closer than you think, and currently under assault by everything from pollution to poaching.

Federal Trade Commission officials would not comment on the deal, but are expected by industry experts to give it close scrutiny.

Is there some one he would listen to, such as a close friend or relative?

It is important that the close link with the local authority remains.

Rosen has worked politically for Kennedy since his 1980 presidential primary run and developed a close friendship with the senator.

Snowden's close reasoning and unerring instinct for words were allied with Maxton's humour and Churchill's daring.

III. adverb

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ VERB

come

No other female player has come close to her level.

Only once since 1987 has Karelin come close to losing.

He made telling first half stops and saw his forwards come close to securing three points.

He never came close to realizing his dream of winning the presidency.

And maybe the rest of the gang wouldn't have got burned out if she hadn't come close before.

Many observers say that if the leadership election were held now, Redwood could topple Major or at least come close .

Even without the view, the decor doesn't come close .

He can come close , perhaps, but the closer he comes, the greater the risk of slippage.

draw

As he drew close to the hut, a sense of dread took hold of him.

As I drew close they both bolted, crashing loudly through the alder thicket.

Maggie is drawing close to the bar.

Fishermen in their trawlers draw close to the straw vessels and throw candy, fruit, and other treats to the children.

At the foot of the ramp's slope, a private ambulance was drawn close to a side wall.

A small sailboat draws close and Captains Peleg and Bildad, both old sea salts, reluctantly leave.

As they drew close to the outskirts of Chichester itself rain clouds were gathering.

Barbara, most of the time, sat on a hard wooden chair drawn close .

feel

Whenever he drifts toward sleep he feels close to distinguishing the words.

Then ask her if she feels close enough to you to try it-that should do the trick.

Instead he fought for an essentially spiritual satisfaction-because it made him feel close to some universal force.

Funny thing, I felt close to Connie, yet I'd never laid eyes on her.

Feel close to people in power?

Pamela had never felt close to him.

The twins felt close to their uncle.

get

Walking offers wonderful opportunities to get close to wildlife.

Terry hated him; she said he hung around with her brother in order to get close to her.

When it got close enough to radio a request for National Lottery cash.

Every time I get close to some one, off they go.

I had to get close to them.

Get close and fill the frame.

If vets can get close enough, they could test the animal for rabies.

They, too, are getting close to the time when they start to build their nests.

keep

Notice how the compact legs are enabling the body to keep close to the board.

She also kept close to the progress of the research projects.

By keeping close to customers, we are better able to service their needs and we can keep ahead of industry trends.

Flight directors were keeping close tabs Tuesday on a frontal system in the Midwest.

He turned right, keeping close to the shops on his left, using them as a guide.

The exposure was a little frightening at first and instinctively he kept close to walls.

At first they kept close to the little river.

lie

The south-east lay close to Macedon, across the Adriatic Sea.

We lay close together, and Jasper produced from a pocket a thin silver flask.

Susan's arm lay close to her head.

It is one that lies close to the heart of any study of the interaction of religion and society.

She would not wake him or touch him or even lie close enough to feel his warmth.

Rodomonte picked up a football sized rock that lay close to the entrance, and passed through.

Alpha Herculis, or Rasalgethi, lies close to Alpha Ophiuchi, rather divorced from the rest of the constellation.

live

In those days captains of industry were not ashamed to live close to the source of their wealth.

They live close to the concrete.

Geography will be irrelevant, and people on opposite sides may be living close to each other.

He lived close to the victim.

Some of the best-loved boxers who ever lived close to Aldgate Pump were crammed into the bars.

People who lived close to a busy airport were interviewed regarding their sleep quality.

Born in Kent, she now lives close to Sunderland with her T.V. producer husband and their 8 year old daughter.

remain

Most of the Official Unionist members at Westminster had remained close to the Faulknerites.

But he remained close to Norvo and Bailey.

They have remained close to the latter level ever since.

His folks never wed, but did remain close , even as both went on to marriages and divorces with other partners.

From 1254 onwards, while remaining close to Simon, Peter's career also developed independently.

In most societies women travel to live with their husbands, whereas men tend to remain close to their relatives.

When m 0.6, the input resistance remains close to for frequencies up to 85% of the critical frequency.

Amelia remained close to her parents and her sister through the summers spent in Kansas City.

run

The market is also highly sensitive because trading volumes are running close to 10-year lows.

Cardiff residents have complained that the nearby bluffs are too fragile to withstand the pounding of more trains running close by.

It looks like a two-minute painting: four dull green brushstrokes run close to the painting's edge, reiterating the rectangle.

The application still ran close to the user to give a crisp look and feel.

stand

The range fire was glowing, hot enough to roast anyone who stood close to it.

Here is a great tree, standing close to the ditch.

They stood close to the door, the boy a pace behind the official.

Looking pleased but shy, we stand close to each other next to Mother in the iron lung.

Roman was standing close to her, so close that she could feel the warmth from his body.

Give a different student the saucepan and the spoon and ask her to stand close to the bowl without touching it.

The Beastline were standing close together, silhouetted against the sky.

They watched how he was forced to let Paul manage the navigation as he stood close by.

stay

Pyjamas seems afraid of them: he stays close to the wall.

I wanted to stay close to home and go to a good academic school.

I couldn't stay close to whatever it was in him that liked it so much.

The trick to that is staying close enough to see their instrument lights.

Feminist psychologies which work by association, stay close enough to psychology's concerns to be able to contest them.

I tend to stay close to people who can tell me things I like knowing.

His daughter stayed close to me to make sure that nobody hurt me.

That was another good reason to stay close to home and in your own neighborhood-town and ethnic state.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

(hard/hot/close) on sb's heels

(hard/hot/close) on the heels of sth

Critique followed hot on the heels of this pioneering work.

On the heels of this came Mr J. to tell us that young Mrs P. had had her thighbone crushed.

Then it seemed that the consummation would follow soon on the heels of its inauguration.

With another couple of laps he might have finished close on the heels of the two Dunlops.

a close shave

And so we all had a close shave once a term.

Had a close shave by the looks of you.

He seemed pale and in need of a closer shave .

I had to rinse quite often to get rid of debris, but it did give a close shave .

Now the challenge is complete, he is considering a close shave , probably in the name of charity.

a closed book

But your own past can be a closed book , even at fourteen.

He is holding a closed book , signifying a mystery, possibly a stage in the alchemical process.

I can not believe that it can be right that this late in the game Poetry is still a closed book .

I tell myself it's a closed book , but my cover story becomes an old man's compensation.

Linear preoccupation in the past remains a closed book to modern understanding.

The highly organised St Stephen's Society programme which she now leads was at that time a closed book to her!

The kitchenette is a closed book .

The Shoah will never be a closed book .

a closed book (to sb)

But your own past can be a closed book, even at fourteen.

He is holding a closed book, signifying a mystery, possibly a stage in the alchemical process.

I can not believe that it can be right that this late in the game Poetry is still a closed book.

I tell myself it's a closed book, but my cover story becomes an old man's compensation.

Linear preoccupation in the past remains a closed book to modern understanding.

The highly organised St Stephen's Society programme which she now leads was at that time a closed book to her!

The kitchenette is a closed book.

The Shoah will never be a closed book.

a closed set (of sth)

behind closed doors

Although America is a democracy, a lot of key decisions are made behind closed doors by unelected advisers.

The board members met behind closed doors to discuss the deal.

And, unlike most other House panels, the ethics committee conducts virtually all of its business behind closed doors.

As the jurors deliberated behind closed doors, the judge huddled with lawyers from both sides in his chambers.

Real's punishment was to play subsequent matches behind closed doors.

Schmoke spent most of his time behind closed doors.

The hearings are behind closed doors, Newsweek says, and it has not discovered the names of the companies implicated.

We think, but we don't really know what they were saying to each other behind closed doors.

can do sth with your eyes shut/closed

close to the bone

close to the mark

close/dear to sb's heart

His latest challenge is on a smaller scale, but it's much closer to his heart .

I hold you near, close to my heart , There's so much for me to give, Where to begin?

It is one that lies close to the heart of any study of the interaction of religion and society.

One subject is obviously dear to Schofield's heart - the captaincy of Great Britain and Leeds.

Other songs: Include Stainsby Girls, inspired by a Middlesbrough school close to his heart .

The electrification of the network, a topic close to Lenin's heart , was discussed in the pages of Gudok.

The President would go to Williamsburg, Virginia, a place close to his heart .

close/packed/crowded etc together

The Beastline were standing close together , silhouetted against the sky.

The main street in Lincoln is narrow, and the little houses are close together .

These horses show relaxed, peaceful outlines, with friends standing particularly close together .

They stood close together in silence, listening.

Though they are close together on the couch, there is in fact a chasm between them.

We draw close together to complete our plans.

close/shut your ears to sth

At first, I closed my ears to what I did not want to hear.

Claudia sank down on to her bed and tried to shut her ears to the sound of him in the next room.

Don't close your ears to the world and don't give up.

He tried to close his ears to the plea.

Rincewind tried to shut his ears to the grating voice beside him.

She heard the boys hurling abuse at her, shouting to her to stop, but she shut her ears to them.

She wanted to close her ears to it.

Sometimes she even managed to shut her ears to the arguments going on around her.

close/shut your eyes to sth

We can't close our eyes to the fact that our town has a gang problem.

I've closed my eyes to your activities long enough.

If we must sometimes close our eyes to open them in the myth dimension, so be it.

On a sob Ruth swallowed hard and closed her eyes to the burning sun overhead.

On the other hand the very same development increases their tendency to close their eyes to the future.

Prayer May we never become so worldly that we close our eyes to the miracle and mystery of life.

The need to push came again, and Jane closed her eyes to concentrate.

They could not shut their eyes to the ugly and degrading side of wine-drinking and see only the delightful side.

Turning off the light, she slid back under the covers and closed her eyes to sleep fitfully until noon.

draw near/closer

As the habeas hearing drew near, Lancaster County officials' concern over these revelations grew noticeable.

As the pair drew near he turned and fled.

As the race drew closer it was time for Paul to take a back seat.

As we drew near and I watched 747 after 747 climbing laboriously into the clouds, I wondered what fate befell me.

Men prosper for a decade, and demons dare not draw near!

The bailiff directed all to draw near and give their attendance, promising that they would be heard.

They drew near the bed and stared down at the boy who lay there sleeping in its drifts of tumbling lace.

Two young boys, of around ten years of age, drawing closer, then parallel, now swiftly passing, past.

draw to a close/end

As the decade drew to a close, it was evident that consumers were fed up.

As the General's visit ended, the competition drew to a close.

As the singing draws to a close, the cousins urge her to make a wish.

But Enterprise Neptune has not drawn to an end with the successful completion of its Silver Jubilee year.

He used to long for his holidays and grow deeply depressed when they drew to an end.

The last of the wine is poured; the meal draws to a close.

The long gray afternoon drew to a close.

The year 1968 drew to a close and with it the life of Londonderry Corporation.

keep (close) tabs on sb/sth

He keeps tabs on everyone in the building.

A psychologist will keep tabs on teams of youngsters and will stop the operation if they show signs of stress.

About the world Lenny Wilkens has been keeping tabs on world events, and one thing is clear.

Although so little was heard from them, those who kept tabs on them were convinced that they were slowly fading away.

Anne Dickson, a local politician, said people had been keeping tabs on Hamilton for years.

But trappers will keep tabs on the extra traps until February, officials said.

If she asked, he would accuse her of nagging, of wanting to keep tabs on him.

They patrol land and keep tabs on the gangs after tip offs from gamekeepers and farmers.

We try to keep close tabs on our boys in blue.

move in/close in for the kill

play your cards close to your chest

Roslin, known for playing his cards close to his vest, declined to comment.

play/keep your cards close to your chest

sail close to the wind

They had quite a reputation for sailing close to the wind.

With his own property, it was perhaps easier too for a baron to take risks or sail close to the wind.

shut/close the door on sth

A loss in this election will not necessarily close the door on the campaign.

Come in, lads, come in and shut the door on the fog.

Even so, Wickham was not ready to shut the door on the possibility.

Imagine asking that they close the door on me so I can see what it feels like.

It watched her, unwinking, until she reached the room behind the shop and shut the door on its crimson gaze.

Lucker murmurs something to Jasper and leads him away closing the door on me.

She closed the door on them.

The previous owner had used a bathroom off one of the bedrooms as storage and simply closed the door on it.

shut/close the stable door after the horse has bolted

too close/near for comfort

At times, the similarities are too close for comfort , edging towards the derivative.

But our last memory was of a nightingale pair, singing in competition in territories perhaps too close for comfort .

Cross-addictions may be hotly denied because the subject matter may for some be too close for comfort .

In a wave trough I caught a glimpse of a coral head to port: a little too close for comfort .

Lightning dipped and veered in a manner which was far too close for comfort .

Richard, and you quite see why, finds economy airline seats too close for comfort .

The movement brought him too close for comfort .

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

She was holding her baby close .

The police questioned him closely about his involvement in the robbery.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

Close by a couple were kissing, holding each other close to ward off the cold wind that had sprung up.

Anyone who works close to the darker side of human nature can not help taking on board some of the pain.

For that, you would sit behind the basket, seeing half the game up close .

Living close to overhead electric power lines causes health hazards.

There were close to a hundred.

IV. noun

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ VERB

bring

The sale, which was expected, brings to a close a chapter that began when Xerox bought insurance company Crum&038;.

Jasper had a way of bringing conversations to a close .

come

Exactly when the Gingrich case will come to a close has become a matter of bitter dispute.

The announcement came after the close of trading.

Ultimately, some one wins-the case comes to a close .

The long day was coming to a close .

Trials proceed until the case comes to a close with a verdict, mistrial or late settlement.

draw

As training drew to a close , a delicious smile suddenly appeared on Nick Mallett's face.

The long gray afternoon drew to a close .

It is more a mode of address for a slightly iffy constitutional compromise that is drawing peacefully towards its close .

My time with Stark was drawing to a close .

As the 1860s drew to a close , Kansas effectively put its violent heritage behind; change accelerated by leaps and bounds.

John Champagne and Bob Guadiana grabbed their chance to lead the way as 1991 drew to a close .

With the announcement of Daimler, the 77-year existence of Fokker appears to be drawing to a close .

The year 1995 drew to a close on a fitting note.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

(hard/hot/close) on sb's heels

(hard/hot/close) on the heels of sth

Critique followed hot on the heels of this pioneering work.

On the heels of this came Mr J. to tell us that young Mrs P. had had her thighbone crushed.

Then it seemed that the consummation would follow soon on the heels of its inauguration.

With another couple of laps he might have finished close on the heels of the two Dunlops.

a close shave

And so we all had a close shave once a term.

Had a close shave by the looks of you.

He seemed pale and in need of a closer shave .

I had to rinse quite often to get rid of debris, but it did give a close shave .

Now the challenge is complete, he is considering a close shave , probably in the name of charity.

a closed book (to sb)

But your own past can be a closed book, even at fourteen.

He is holding a closed book, signifying a mystery, possibly a stage in the alchemical process.

I can not believe that it can be right that this late in the game Poetry is still a closed book.

I tell myself it's a closed book, but my cover story becomes an old man's compensation.

Linear preoccupation in the past remains a closed book to modern understanding.

The highly organised St Stephen's Society programme which she now leads was at that time a closed book to her!

The kitchenette is a closed book.

The Shoah will never be a closed book.

a closed set (of sth)

behind closed doors

Although America is a democracy, a lot of key decisions are made behind closed doors by unelected advisers.

The board members met behind closed doors to discuss the deal.

And, unlike most other House panels, the ethics committee conducts virtually all of its business behind closed doors.

As the jurors deliberated behind closed doors, the judge huddled with lawyers from both sides in his chambers.

Real's punishment was to play subsequent matches behind closed doors.

Schmoke spent most of his time behind closed doors.

The hearings are behind closed doors, Newsweek says, and it has not discovered the names of the companies implicated.

We think, but we don't really know what they were saying to each other behind closed doors.

close to the bone

close to the mark

close/dear to sb's heart

His latest challenge is on a smaller scale, but it's much closer to his heart .

I hold you near, close to my heart , There's so much for me to give, Where to begin?

It is one that lies close to the heart of any study of the interaction of religion and society.

One subject is obviously dear to Schofield's heart - the captaincy of Great Britain and Leeds.

Other songs: Include Stainsby Girls, inspired by a Middlesbrough school close to his heart .

The electrification of the network, a topic close to Lenin's heart , was discussed in the pages of Gudok.

The President would go to Williamsburg, Virginia, a place close to his heart .

close/packed/crowded etc together

The Beastline were standing close together , silhouetted against the sky.

The main street in Lincoln is narrow, and the little houses are close together .

These horses show relaxed, peaceful outlines, with friends standing particularly close together .

They stood close together in silence, listening.

Though they are close together on the couch, there is in fact a chasm between them.

We draw close together to complete our plans.

close/shut your ears to sth

At first, I closed my ears to what I did not want to hear.

Claudia sank down on to her bed and tried to shut her ears to the sound of him in the next room.

Don't close your ears to the world and don't give up.

He tried to close his ears to the plea.

Rincewind tried to shut his ears to the grating voice beside him.

She heard the boys hurling abuse at her, shouting to her to stop, but she shut her ears to them.

She wanted to close her ears to it.

Sometimes she even managed to shut her ears to the arguments going on around her.

close/shut your eyes to sth

We can't close our eyes to the fact that our town has a gang problem.

I've closed my eyes to your activities long enough.

If we must sometimes close our eyes to open them in the myth dimension, so be it.

On a sob Ruth swallowed hard and closed her eyes to the burning sun overhead.

On the other hand the very same development increases their tendency to close their eyes to the future.

Prayer May we never become so worldly that we close our eyes to the miracle and mystery of life.

The need to push came again, and Jane closed her eyes to concentrate.

They could not shut their eyes to the ugly and degrading side of wine-drinking and see only the delightful side.

Turning off the light, she slid back under the covers and closed her eyes to sleep fitfully until noon.

draw near/closer

As the habeas hearing drew near, Lancaster County officials' concern over these revelations grew noticeable.

As the pair drew near he turned and fled.

As the race drew closer it was time for Paul to take a back seat.

As we drew near and I watched 747 after 747 climbing laboriously into the clouds, I wondered what fate befell me.

Men prosper for a decade, and demons dare not draw near!

The bailiff directed all to draw near and give their attendance, promising that they would be heard.

They drew near the bed and stared down at the boy who lay there sleeping in its drifts of tumbling lace.

Two young boys, of around ten years of age, drawing closer, then parallel, now swiftly passing, past.

draw to a close/end

As the decade drew to a close, it was evident that consumers were fed up.

As the General's visit ended, the competition drew to a close.

As the singing draws to a close, the cousins urge her to make a wish.

But Enterprise Neptune has not drawn to an end with the successful completion of its Silver Jubilee year.

He used to long for his holidays and grow deeply depressed when they drew to an end.

The last of the wine is poured; the meal draws to a close.

The long gray afternoon drew to a close.

The year 1968 drew to a close and with it the life of Londonderry Corporation.

keep (close) tabs on sb/sth

He keeps tabs on everyone in the building.

A psychologist will keep tabs on teams of youngsters and will stop the operation if they show signs of stress.

About the world Lenny Wilkens has been keeping tabs on world events, and one thing is clear.

Although so little was heard from them, those who kept tabs on them were convinced that they were slowly fading away.

Anne Dickson, a local politician, said people had been keeping tabs on Hamilton for years.

But trappers will keep tabs on the extra traps until February, officials said.

If she asked, he would accuse her of nagging, of wanting to keep tabs on him.

They patrol land and keep tabs on the gangs after tip offs from gamekeepers and farmers.

We try to keep close tabs on our boys in blue.

move in/close in for the kill

play your cards close to your chest

Roslin, known for playing his cards close to his vest, declined to comment.

play/keep your cards close to your chest

sail close to the wind

They had quite a reputation for sailing close to the wind.

With his own property, it was perhaps easier too for a baron to take risks or sail close to the wind.

too close/near for comfort

At times, the similarities are too close for comfort , edging towards the derivative.

But our last memory was of a nightingale pair, singing in competition in territories perhaps too close for comfort .

Cross-addictions may be hotly denied because the subject matter may for some be too close for comfort .

In a wave trough I caught a glimpse of a coral head to port: a little too close for comfort .

Lightning dipped and veered in a manner which was far too close for comfort .

Richard, and you quite see why, finds economy airline seats too close for comfort .

The movement brought him too close for comfort .

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

At the close of trading on the stock market, Ciena shares were up to $37.

Fran lives at 37 Appian Close .

Several hours later, the meeting drew to a close and the board members filed out of the room.

The beginning of April usually marks the close of the skiing season.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

Exactly when the Gingrich case will come to a close has become a matter of bitter dispute.

I remember the close of each of those weekend nights as a prolonged farewell.

John Champagne and Bob Guadiana grabbed their chance to lead the way as 1991 drew to a close .

Since then, Service Corp. stock has zipped up from 44 to 47 at the close of trading last week.

V. noun

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

I remember the close of each of those weekend nights as a prolonged farewell.

Lying in a cradle close by are two babies.

Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary.      Дополнительный английский словарь Longman DOCE5.