closer

¹ American  

[kloh-zer] / ˈkloʊ zər /

noun

1. a person or thing that closes.

   a door with a mechanical closer.

2. a person or thing that concludes.

   The piece would be a great closer for a concert.

3. Baseball. a relief pitcher brought in toward the end of the game to hold the team’s lead.

4. a person who brings something, especially a business deal, to a successful conclusion.

   a car salesman known as one of the best closers.

5. Also called closure.  Masonry. any of various specially formed or cut bricks for spacing or filling gaps between regular bricks or courses of regular brickwork.

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closer ² American  

[kloh-ser] / ˈkloʊ sər /

adjective

1. comparative of close.

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Etymology

Origin of closer

First recorded in 1600–1620; close, -er ¹

Example Sentences

One company she is working with realised its graduate-only policy was a "door closer", and it was now looking to recruit non graduates who might have other skills, and can be trained.

From BBC

Running back Mark Fletcher was committed to play for the Buckeyes a few years ago before flipping to Miami to stay closer to home.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Falcons handled the Saints pretty easily in New Orleans last month and should win a closer game at home.

From Los Angeles Times

It should be much closer when they meet a second time with only four places separating them in the world rankings.

From Barron's

Intriguing new discoveries in a medieval cemetery in Wales have brought archaeologists closer to solving the mystery surrounding the women buried there.

From BBC

Related Words

• climax
• conclusion
• denouement