▪ I. † ˈcloser1 Obs.
Also 5 closere, 6 closyer, 6–7 closier.
[a. Anglo-F. closere = OF. closiere ‘enclosed place’:—late L. clausāria (see Du Cange), f. claus-us closed, shut.]
1. An enclosed space or place; a closet.
| a 1400–50 Alexander 5250 Candace..changid hire wedis; And cam doun of hire closere. c 1410 Love Bonavent. Mirr. vi. (Gibbs MS.), Joseph..made hem a closer and a crachche for here beestes. 1530 Palsgr. 206/1 Closyer, clos. |
2. That which encloses, an enclosing wall or barrier; the cover of a book. [App. confused with closure, OF. closure in this sense.]
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 83 Closere [Pynson, closure] of bokys, or oþer lyke, clausura, coopertorium. 1481–90 Howard Househ. Bks. (1844) 123 The byll..is in the closer of this boke. 1513 Douglas æneis viii. iv. 173 Hercules..Bet doun the closeris. 1519 W. Horman Vulg. in Promp. Parv. 80 With a..closer latis wyse, clathro. c 1543 W. Clebe MS. Addit. 4609. 409 With closer of brike toured aboute your gardein. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 2 For want of partition, closier, and such. 1605 Timme Quersit. iii. 192 The making of diuers closiers of glasses. |
▪ II. closer2
(ˈkləʊzə(r))
Also 8 closier.
[f. close v. + -er. Cf. OF. closier (Godefr.).]
One who or that which closes (in various senses of the vb.).
| 1611 Cotgr., Affermisseur, a strengthener; compactor, closer. 1650 tr. Bacon's Life & Death 63 Malacissation is wrought by Consubstantials, by Imprinters, and by Closers up. a 1821 Keats Misc. Poems 217 Closer of lovely eyes to lovely dreams. 1885 Pall Mall G. 19 Nov. 3/2 Sunday closers [advocates of Sunday closing] will be suprised to learn..that on Sunday ‘the inns are empty’. |
2. Boot-making. The workman that ‘closes’ or joins together the uppers of boots or shoes.
| 1724 Lond. Gaz. No. 6249/8 Elizabeth Pocock..Closer of Shooes. 1866 Lond. Rev. 27 Oct. 459/2 Clickers, blockers, runners, closers. 1889 D. F. Schloss in Charity Organis. Rev. Jan. 7 note, Closers make the uppers of boots. |
3. Building. A stone or brick of smaller size than the rest, used to close or end a wall, or course of brickwork. king closer, queen closer: see quot. 1876. (Sometimes closure, formerly closier.)
| 1703 Moxon Mech. Exerc. 261 'Tis usual to lay a Closier next the Header on both sides of the Wall, and..to make the Wall much stronger, lay a Closure on one side, and none on the other. 1734 Builder's Dict. s.v. Brick, At an upright Quoin in a Brick and half Wall..it is usual to lay a Closer next the Header, on both Sides of the Walls. 1876 Gwilt Archit. Gloss. s.v. Closer, Closers in brickwork, are pieces of bricks (or bats) less or greater than half a brick, that are used to close in the end of a course of brickwork..a quarter brick (or bat)..interposed to preserve the continuity of the bond..is called a queen-closer..a three-quarter bat at the angle in the stretching-course..is called a king-closer. |
▸ orig. U.S. A person adept at bringing business transactions to a satisfactory conclusion.
| 1906 Oakland (Calif.) Tribune 10 Nov. 16/3 (advt.) A leading real estate firm wants a first-class experienced man for inside work; must be a good closer and familiar with Oakland real estate values. 1968 F. Exley Fan's Notes vi. 256 In the aluminum siding racket Mr. Blue was a ‘closer’. He traveled about with two or three..Ivy League types..whose job it was to get Mr. Blue into a house so that he could get the buyer's signature on a contract, thus ‘closing’ the sale. 1992 Economist 3 Oct. 11/2 (advt.) The candidate understands how to access public and private financial markets, is flexible, a self-starter, a closer, an excellent communicator and a team player. 2004 U.S. News & World Rep. 2 Aug. 36/1 She was, says one colleague, the best ‘closer’ he'd ever seen—someone who knew how to cut deals and get the job done. |
▸ A closing or final item; the last of a series. Cf. opener n. 4a.
| 1961 Appleton (Wisconsin) Post-Crescent 20 Apr. b16/4 As a closer, Lombardi expressed appreciation: ‘Thank you for helping us set the all-time attendance record.’ 1989 Q Dec. 117/1 The best track is the closer, Find A Way To My Heart, which employs just about all the tricks that have gone before. 1998 Isis 89 525/2 The opener is provided by the sociologist Trevor Pinch, the closer by Donald MacKenzie. 2003 Vanity Fair June 108/3 ‘I Will Survive’ was his signature closer. |
▸ Baseball. A reliable relief pitcher who enters a game in the final innings, typically to preserve a slim lead.
| 1980 N.Y. Times 21 Sept. v. 4/2 Last year..he was often used as a long reliever rather than the ‘closer’ he had always been. 1990 Sports Illustr. 8 Oct. 28/2 Jeff Gray had pitched the eighth for Boston, and Morgan let him pitch the ninth, despite the fact that Boston's closer, Jeff Reardon, was ready. 2004 D. Dravecky & M. Yorkey Called Up xxxiv. 151 Trevor—like 95 percent of today's closers—usually comes into the game with a clean slate: ninth inning, no one on base. |