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.
Meanings
(not-comparable, obsolete) Private.
(not-comparable) Closeted, secret (especially with reference to gay people who are in the closet).
I wonder if there is another in the world that could produce, among perfectly normal people, this strangest quirk in the agenda of liquordom, the closet drinker. 1940, Walton Hall Smith with Ferdinand Christian Helwig, Liquor, the servant of man:
He's a closet case.
(not-comparable) Denoting anything kept a secret or private.
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.
Meanings
A small room within a house used to store clothing, food, or other household supplies.
She came in now, but to the closet; from it she took a simple skirt and blouse. Picking up her underclothing she departed, obviously to dress somewhere else. 1964, Philip K. Dick, “NINE”, in Clans of the Alphane Moon, United States: Ace Books, →OCLC; republished London: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1996, →ISBN, page 112:
A Closet full of shelves... it... should therefore be called a Cupboard rather than a Closet. 1799 May 17, Jane Austen, letter
(obsolete) Any private space, (particularly) bowers in the open air.
A slepe hym toke / In hys closet. c. 1370, Robert Cicyle, l. 57 f:
(archaic) Any private or inner room, (particularly)
VVhen come to the place vvhere vve all vvere to dine, / (A chair-lumber'd Cloſet, juſt tvvelve feet by nine) / My friend bid me vvelcome, but ſtruck me quite dumb / VVith tidings that Johnson and Burke coud not come: […] 1765, [Oliver] Goldsmith, The Haunch of Venison, a Poetical Epistle to Lord Clare, Dublin: […] W. Whitestone, […], published 1776, →OCLC, page 9:
(archaic, obsolete) Any private or inner room, (particularly): ▸ A private room used by women to groom and dress themselves.
Closet for a lady to make her redy in, chamberette. 1530, John Palsgrave, Lesclarcissement, page 206:
(archaic) Any private or inner room, (particularly): ▸ A private room used for prayer or other devotions.
When thou prayest, enter into thy closet. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 6:6:
(archaic, figuratively) Any private or inner room, (particularly): ▸ A place of (usually, fanciful) contemplation and theorizing.
[A]broad and at home, at their Tables or in their Closets […] [1594], Richard Hooker, chapter 24, in J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page):
(archaic) Any private or inner room, (particularly): ▸ The private residence or private council chamber of a monarch.
(obsolete) A pew or side-chapel reserved for a monarch or other feudal lord.
Closet, chapelle. 1530, John Palsgrave, Lesclarcissement, page 206:
Chaplayneȝ to þe chapeles chosen þe gate... / Þe lorde loutes þerto, & þe lady als, / In-to a comly closet coyntly ho entreȝ. c. 1390, Sir Gawain & the Green Knight, §I, 934 ff.
(obsolete) A private cabinet, (particularly): ▸ One used to store valuables.
But heere's a Parchment... I found it in his Closset, 'tis his Will. 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], line 130:
(archaic) A private cabinet, (particularly): ▸ One used to store curiosities.
The late House of Commons have... seiz'd Closets and Writings without Information. 1681, Marquis of Halifax, Seasonable Addresses to the Houses of Parliament in Concise Succession, page 10:
Mr. Tradescant and his wife told me they had been long considering upon whom to bestow their closet of curiosities when they died. 1659, Elias Ashmole, Diary, page 326:
(figuratively) A private cabinet, (particularly): ▸ A secret or hiding place, (particularly) the hiding place in English idioms such as in the closet and skeleton in the closet.
Went the sonne of god oute of the pryuy closet of the maydens wombe. 1530, chapter II, in Myroure of Oure Ladye, page 233:
He's so far in the closet, he can see Narnia.
The closet can be a scary place for a gay teenager.
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, slang, uncommon) A private cabinet, (particularly): ▸ Clipping of closet case.
(Philippines, US) A private cabinet, (particularly): ▸ One intended for storing clothes or bedclothes.
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, obsolete) A private cabinet, (particularly): ▸ Clipping of closet of ease, (later, UK) clipping of water closet: a room containing a toilet.
A Closset is the halfe of the Barre, and tenne of them maie be borne in one fielde. 1572, J. Bossewell, Wks. Armorie, page 12:
(Scotland, obsolete) A sewer.
A state or condition of secrecy, privacy, or obscurity.
A state or condition of secrecy, privacy, or obscurity. ▸ The state of having one's sexual orientation a secret.
6 o'clock TV news specials concerning a famous Hollywood movie star who has been diagnosed with [AIDS]. It had to happen sooner or later. (In fact it probably has happened sooner, but the tenor of the times and the closets of the people were no doubt more secure.) 1985 August 24, Michael Bronski, “Rock Hudson: The Great Gay Hope”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 7, page 15:
(archaic) A compendium of knowledge, possibly from closet as a room?
cupboard (piece of furniture, used for storing food or dishware) · press (piece of furniture, used for storing food or dishware) · storage room (small room used for storage) · locker (small closet with built-in lock) · cupboard (storage area set into a wall, used for storing food or dishware) · wardrobe (piece of furniture, used for storing food or dishware) · pantry (storage area set into a wall, used for storing food or dishware) · armoire (piece of furniture, used for storing clothes) · wardrobe (piece of furniture, used for storing clothes) · press (piece of furniture, used for storing clothes) · sideboard (piece of furniture, used for storing food or dishware) · walk-in closet (small room used for storage) · cabinet (storage area set into a wall, used for storing food or dishware) · cabinet (piece of furniture, used for storing food or dishware) · larder (storage area set into a wall, used for storing food or dishware)
Synonyms
armchair (place of fanciful theorization) · cabinet (furniture or shelving used for storage) · bathroom (room with a toilet)
Translations (106)
es armario (furniture) · fa اشکاف (furniture) · la armarium (furniture) · yi שאַפֿע (furniture) · de Abstellkammer (small private chamber) · pt armário (furniture) · pl komórka (small private chamber) · ru шкаф (furniture) · az dolab (furniture) · ar حُجْرَة (small private chamber) · ja 収納庫 (furniture) · hu járható ruhásszekrény (furniture) · de Wandschrank (furniture) · fr placard (furniture) · hu gardróbszekrény (furniture) · de Kämmerchen (small private chamber) · hu fülke (small private chamber) · sv garderob (figurative sense) · nn skåp (furniture) · es placar (furniture) · fi kaappi (furniture) · ru чула́н (small private chamber) · sv skåp (furniture) · ja 押入 (furniture) · no kott (small private chamber) · ka კარადა (furniture) · de Ankleide (small private chamber) · de Geheimzimmer (small private chamber) · pl szafa (furniture) · es cachimán (furniture) · pt guarda-roupas (furniture) · de Kamurke (small private chamber) · nl kast (furniture) · fi kaappi (figurative sense) · hu zug (figurative sense) · da skab (furniture) · ja クローゼット (furniture) · sv garderob (furniture) · az şkaf (furniture) · fi kamari (small private chamber) · bg стенен гардероб (furniture) · de Schrank (furniture) · it ripostiglio (furniture) · cs skříň (furniture) · hu cella (small private chamber) · de Geheim- (figurative sense) · bg кабинет (small private chamber) · eo ŝranko (furniture) · hu kamra (small private chamber) · yi שאַנק (furniture) · scn muarra (furniture) · he ארון (furniture) · uk ша́фа (furniture) · de Kabinett (small private chamber) · fo skáp (furniture) · is skápur (furniture) · gd seòmar-uaigneach (small private chamber) · es clóset (furniture) · afb كبت (furniture) · fa کمد (furniture) · eo kamero (small private chamber) · hi अलमैराह (furniture) · wa calbote (furniture) · sk skriňa (furniture) · cmn 壁櫥 /壁橱 (furniture) · ar قَيْطُون (small private chamber) · bg килер (furniture) · hu kis szoba (small private chamber) · vls kasse (furniture) · wa årmwere (furniture) · ar مِحْرَاب (small private chamber) · ru камо́рка (small private chamber) · vi tủ quần áo (furniture) · wa årmå (furniture) · hu beépített szekrény (furniture) · hsb komorka (small private chamber) · it ripostiglio (small private chamber) · scn ripustigghiu (small private chamber) · sl omara (furniture) · sh ormar (furniture) · de Käfter (small private chamber) · ar عَرِين (small private chamber) · yi אַלמער (furniture) · fi koppi (small private chamber) · el καμαράκι (small private chamber) · es placard (furniture) · hu faliszekrény (furniture) · tr dolap (furniture) · izh škaappi (furniture) · fi komero (furniture) · hu szobácska (small private chamber) · es ropero (furniture) · kk шкаф (furniture) · be ша́фа (furniture) · hu budoár (small private chamber) · bg гардеро́б (furniture) · uk комірка (small private chamber) · el ντουλάπι (furniture) · de Kammer (small private chamber) · ar خِزَانَة (furniture) · de Alkoven (small private chamber) · it armadio (furniture) · ko 옷장 (furniture) · bg шкаф (furniture) · hu gardrób (furniture) · hy պահարան (furniture)
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.
Meanings
(transitive) To shut away for private discussion.
The ambassador has been closeted with the prime minister all afternoon. We're all worried what will be announced when they exit.
(transitive) To put into a private place for a secret interview or interrogation.
He was to call a new legislature, to closet its members. 1834–1874, George Bancroft, History of the United States, from the Discovery of the American Continent, volume (please specify |volume=I to X), Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company [et al.], →OCLC:
He had been closeted with De Quadra. 1856–1870, James Anthony Froude, History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Death of Elizabeth, volume (please specify |volume=I to XII), London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC:
(transitive) To shut up in, or as in, a closet for concealment or confinement.
[…] she had to look twice over her shoulder when the Gay Northeasters and the City Belles strolled down Seventh Avenue, they were so handsome. But this envy-streaked pleasure Alice closeted, and never let the girl see how she admired those ready-for-bed-in-the-street clothes. 1992, Toni Morrison, Jazz, page 55:
See what contempt is fallen on human kind; […] See Bedlam's closeted and handcuff'd charge / Surpass'd in frenzy by the mad at large; 1784, William Cowper, Tirocinium, or A Review of Schools: