close quarters en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌkləʊs ˈkwɔː(ɹ)tə(ɹ)z/
Etymology
See close quarter.
Meanings
-
(plural, plural-only) Very near proximity; cramped conditions.
Four-to-a-room is living in close quarters.
One can love one's neighbours in the abstract, or even at a distance, but at close quarters it's almost impossible.
1880, Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Constance Garnett, The Brothers Karamazov:He was able to watch some of the younger players he introduced into the squad at close quarters and may be able to see them in England action once more against the Danes.
2020 September 5, Phil McNulty, “Iceland 0-1 England”, in BBC Sport:With a sword and shield he could have let his enemies come to very close quarters with perfect impunity to himself and then have run them through with infinite ease.
1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Cave Girl:They were fighting at close quarters.
I was also advised to put on a belt and carry a short cudgel or bludgeon in it, for, as Jack truly remarked, the sling would be of little use if we should chance to come to close quarters with any wild animal.
1857, Robert Michael Ballantyne, The Coral Island:
-
(form-of, plural) plural of close quarter
form of close quarter
Deriveds
close-quarters combat · close-quarters battle weapon · close-quarters battle
Synonyms
Translations (4)
de engster Raum (very near proximity) · de sehr enge Verhältnisse (very near proximity) · cs těsné prostory (very near proximity) · he פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים (very near proximity)