close quarters
[ klohs ]
/ kloʊs /
noun
a small, cramped place or position.
direct and close contact in a fight: They met at close quarters, exchanging many quick jabs.
Words nearby close quarters
close juncture, close one's eyes to, close out, close position, close punctuation, close quarters, close quote, close ranks, close reach, close season, close shave
Origin of close quarters
First recorded in 1745–55
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Examples from the Web for close quarters
They snapped and barked, but had as yet come to no close-quarters since Tolleys adventure with the pepper-besprinkled Bible.
The Heart of Canyon Pass|Thomas K. HolmesThere was a flurrying exchange of close-quarters blows, Rorke spinning about so that his back was towards the referee.
Buff: A Collie and other dog-stories|Albert Payson TerhuneClose-quarters may be on any point, and the seaman rather delights in the bow attack, using the bowsprit as his bridge.
The Sailor's Word-Book|William Henry SmythThe close-quarters projectile of to-day is more usually shrapnel with the fuze set at zero.
British Dictionary definitions for close quarters
close quarters
/ (kləʊs) /
pl n
a narrow cramped space or position
at close quarters
- engaged in hand-to-hand combat
- in close proximity; very near together
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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