Close borough

Borough \Bor"ough\, n. [OE. burgh, burw, boru, port, town,
   burrow, AS. burh, burg; akin to Icel., Sw., & Dan. borg, OS.
   & D. burg, OHG. puruc, purc, MHG. burc, G. burg, Goth.
   ba['u]rgs; and from the root of AS. beorgan to hide, save,
   defend, G. bergen; or perh. from that of AS. beorg hill,
   mountain. [root]95. See {Bury}, v. t., and cf. {Burrow},
   {Burg}, {Bury}, n., {Burgess}, {Iceberg}, {Borrow}, {Harbor},
   {Hauberk}.]
   1. In England, an incorporated town that is not a city; also,
      a town that sends members to parliament; in Scotland, a
      body corporate, consisting of the inhabitants of a certain
      district, erected by the sovereign, with a certain
      jurisdiction; in America, an incorporated town or village,
      as in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. --Burrill. --Erskine.
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   2. The collective body of citizens or inhabitants of a
      borough; as, the borough voted to lay a tax.
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   {Close borough}, or {Pocket borough}, a borough having the
      right of sending a member to Parliament, whose nomination
      is in the hands of a single person.

   {Rotten borough}, a name given to any borough which, at the
      time of the passage of the Reform Bill of 1832, contained
      but few voters, yet retained the privilege of sending a
      member to Parliament.
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Close \Close\ (kl[=o]s), a. [Compar. {Closer} (kl[=o]"s[~e]r);
   superl. {Closest}.] [Of. & F. clos, p. p. of clore. See
   {Close}, v. t.]
   1. Shut fast; closed; tight; as, a close box.
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            From a close bower this dainty music flowed.
                                                  --Dryden.
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   2. Narrow; confined; as, a close alley; close quarters. "A
      close prison." --Dickens.
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   3. Oppressive; without motion or ventilation; causing a
      feeling of lassitude; -- said of the air, weather, etc.
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            If the rooms be low-roofed, or full of windows and
            doors, the one maketh the air close, . . . and the
            other maketh it exceeding unequal.    --Bacon.
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   4. Strictly confined; carefully quarded; as, a close
      prisoner.
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   5. Out of the way observation; secluded; secret; hidden. "He
      yet kept himself close because of Saul." --1 Chron. xii. 1
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            "Her close intent."                   --Spenser.
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   6. Disposed to keep secrets; secretive; reticent. "For
      secrecy, no lady closer." --Shak.
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   7. Having the parts near each other; dense; solid; compact;
      as applied to bodies; viscous; tenacious; not volatile, as
      applied to liquids.
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            The golden globe being put into a press, . . . the
            water made itself way through the pores of that very
            close metal.                          --Locke.
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   8. Concise; to the point; as, close reasoning. "Where the
      original is close no version can reach it in the same
      compass." --Dryden.
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   9. Adjoining; near; either in space; time, or thought; --
      often followed by to.
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            Plant the spring crocuses close to a wall.
                                                  --Mortimer.
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            The thought of the Man of sorrows seemed a very
            close thing -- not a faint hearsay.   --G. Eliot.
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   10. Short; as, to cut grass or hair close.
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   11. Intimate; familiar; confidential.
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             League with you I seek
             And mutual amity, so strait, so close,
             That I with you must dwell, or you with me.
                                                  --Milton.
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   12. Nearly equal; almost evenly balanced; as, a close vote.
       "A close contest." --Prescott.
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   13. Difficult to obtain; as, money is close. --Bartlett.
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   14. Parsimonious; stingy. "A crusty old fellow, as close as a
       vise." --Hawthorne.
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   15. Adhering strictly to a standard or original; exact;
       strict; as, a close translation. --Locke.
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   16. Accurate; careful; precise; also, attentive; undeviating;
       strict; not wandering; as, a close observer.
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   17. (Phon.) Uttered with a relatively contracted opening of
       the mouth, as certain sounds of e and o in French,
       Italian, and German; -- opposed to open.
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   {Close borough}. See under {Borough}.

   {Close breeding}. See under {Breeding}.

   {Close communion}, communion in the Lord's supper, restricted
      to those who have received baptism by immersion.

   {Close corporation}, a body or corporation which fills its
      own vacancies.

   {Close fertilization}. (Bot.) See {Fertilization}.

   {Close harmony} (Mus.), compact harmony, in which the tones
      composing each chord are not widely distributed over
      several octaves.

   {Close time}, a fixed period during which killing game or
      catching certain fish is prohibited by law.

   {Close vowel} (Pron.), a vowel which is pronounced with a
      diminished aperture of the lips, or with contraction of
      the cavity of the mouth.

   {Close to the wind} (Naut.), directed as nearly to the point
      from which the wind blows as it is possible to sail;
      closehauled; -- said of a vessel.
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