Meaning of "closet" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD CLOSET

From Old French, from clos enclosure.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF CLOSET

closet  [ˈklɒzɪt]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF CLOSET

Closet is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb closet in English.

WHAT DOES CLOSET MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Closet

A closet is a small and enclosed space, a cabinet, or a cupboard in a house or building used for general storage or hanging/storing clothes. A closet for food storage is usually referred to as a pantry. A closet, through French from Latin clausum, "closed" began life in the 17th century as a small private room, often behind a bedroom, to which a man or woman could retire, for privacy, reading, or enjoyment of personal works of art: for this usage, see Cabinet. Modern closets can be built into the walls of the house during construction so that they take up no apparent space in the bedroom, or they can be a large, free-standing piece of furniture designed for clothing storage, in which case they are often called a wardrobe or armoire. Closets are often built under stairs, thereby using awkward space that would otherwise go unused. In current British usage, a "wardrobe" can also be built-in, and the words "cupboard" or walk-in-wardrobe can be used to refer to a closet. In Elizabethan and Middle English, closet referred to a larger room in which a person could sit and read in private, but now refers to a small room in general.

Definition of closet in the English dictionary

The first definition of closet in the dictionary is a small cupboard or recess. Other definition of closet is a small private room. Closet is also private or secret.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO CLOSET

PRESENT

Present

I closet

you closet

he/she/it closets

we closet

you closet

they closet

Present continuous

I am closeting

you are closeting

he/she/it is closeting

we are closeting

you are closeting

they are closeting

Present perfect

I have closeted

you have closeted

he/she/it has closeted

we have closeted

you have closeted

they have closeted

Present perfect continuous

I have been closeting

you have been closeting

he/she/it has been closeting

we have been closeting

you have been closeting

they have been closeting

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I closeted

you closeted

he/she/it closeted

we closeted

you closeted

they closeted

Past continuous

I was closeting

you were closeting

he/she/it was closeting

we were closeting

you were closeting

they were closeting

Past perfect

I had closeted

you had closeted

he/she/it had closeted

we had closeted

you had closeted

they had closeted

Past perfect continuous

I had been closeting

you had been closeting

he/she/it had been closeting

we had been closeting

you had been closeting

they had been closeting

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will closet

you will closet

he/she/it will closet

we will closet

you will closet

they will closet

Future continuous

I will be closeting

you will be closeting

he/she/it will be closeting

we will be closeting

you will be closeting

they will be closeting

Future perfect

I will have closeted

you will have closeted

he/she/it will have closeted

we will have closeted

you will have closeted

they will have closeted

Future perfect continuous

I will have been closeting

you will have been closeting

he/she/it will have been closeting

we will have been closeting

you will have been closeting

they will have been closeting

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would closet

you would closet

he/she/it would closet

we would closet

you would closet

they would closet

Conditional continuous

I would be closeting

you would be closeting

he/she/it would be closeting

we would be closeting

you would be closeting

they would be closeting

Conditional perfect

I would have closet

you would have closet

he/she/it would have closet

we would have closet

you would have closet

they would have closet

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been closeting

you would have been closeting

he/she/it would have been closeting

we would have been closeting

you would have been closeting

they would have been closeting

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you closet
we let´s closet
you closet

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to closet

Past participle

closeted

Present Participle

closeting

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «CLOSET»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «closet» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of closet

cabinet · covert · cubbyhole · cubicle · cupboard · hidden · private · recess · secret · unknown · unrevealed

TRANSLATION OF CLOSET

Find out the translation of closet to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of closet from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «closet» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 储藏室
• Translator English - Spanish: armario
• English: closet
• Translator English - Hindi: कोठरी
• Translator English - Arabic: خزانة
• Translator English - Russian: шкаф
• Translator English - Portuguese: closet
• Translator English - Bengali: পায়খানা
• Translator English - French: placard
• Translator English - Malay: Almari
• Translator English - German: Wandschrank
• Translator English - Japanese: クローゼット
• Translator English - Korean: 벽장
• Translator English - Javanese: Lemari
• Translator English - Vietnamese: tủ quần áo
• Translator English - Tamil: மறைவை
• Translator English - Marathi: लहान खोली
• Translator English - Turkish: dolap
• Translator English - Italian: ripostiglio
• Translator English - Polish: szafy
• Translator English - Ukrainian: шафа
• Translator English - Romanian: dulap
• Translator English - Greek: ντουλάπα
• Translator English - Afrikaans: kas
• Translator English - Swedish: garderob
• Translator English - Norwegian: skapet

10 QUOTES WITH «CLOSET»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word closet.

1

Jason Alexander

I know what it's like to be in the closet! I know what it's like to be bullied and attacked because someone or some group thought I was different or below them... so, I'm coming out of the closet as an ally of equality for everyone; as an ally to hope.

2

Amber Benson

I admit it: I'm a freak who sits obsessively in front of my computer typing my name into Yahoo Search over and over again. I'm a closet Amberholic. Please help me!

3

Lizzie Andrew Borden

When I first came down stairs, for two or three minutes I went down cellar to the water closet.

4

Israel Broussard

Not everybody can say they wore heels in Paris Hilton's closet.

5

Dan Butler

I'm not big on the closet.

6

Charles Caleb Colton

To dare to live alone is the rarest courage; since there are many who had rather meet their bitterest enemy in the field, than their own hearts in their closet.

7

Shelley Conn

I did a practical theatre degree, which I took seriously, and then told my parents I wanted to go into acting - because up until that point you could still say you were going to become a teacher. So I told my parents, and they said: 'But of course, that's what we always thought you were doing to do.' Until then, I was still in the acting closet.

8

Pete Docter

'Monsters,' everybody has the thought of monsters in your closet as a kid, and more importantly, the idea of becoming a parent. We're always kind of looking for those emotional nuggets. They're always at the heart of the story.

9

Lexa Doig

It doesn't matter if you're staying at a four-star hotel, you will never have your whole closet with you.

10

Trevor Donovan

The emails and the tweets and the Facebook posts and the fan mail that we get from young people all over America that are on the football team or on the hockey team are so touching. They tell me, 'Hey, this is me. I still have to remain in the closet, but your role in '90210' makes me feel better the way being gay is being portrayed.'

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CLOSET»

Discover the use of closet in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to closet and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Epistemology of the Closet: Updated with a New Preface

In her preface to this updated edition Sedgwick places the book both personally and historically, looking specifically at the horror of the first wave of the AIDS epidemic and its influence on the text.

Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, 2007

The Cross in the Closet: One Man's Abominable Quest to Find ...

From bigotry to empathy, this is the true story of a conservative Christian attempting to find the answers. And it all begins with two words. "I'm Gay."

Timothy Kurek, 2012

Closet Cultivator

A comprehensive guide to indoor cultivation in small rooms or cupboards, covering everything an enthusiast would need to know in order to customise a space and maintain a doscreet and efficient closet garden.

Ed Rosenthal, 1999

From the Closet to the Altar: Courts, Backlash, and the ...

Klarman traces this same pattern--court victory followed by dramatic backlash--through cases in Vermont, California, and Iowa, taking the story right up to the present.

Michael Klarman, 2013

Beyond the Closet: The Transformation of Gay and Lesbian Life

Provides a definitive study of the changing status of gays and lesbians in America over the course of the twentieth century, examining the activism of the 1960s that gave lesbians and gays some legal rights and setting forth specific ...

Steven Seidman, 2004

The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies

Examines the portrayal of homosexual characters in the movies and how it reflects society's beliefs and misconceptions

Vito Russo, 1987

Coming Out of the Classroom Closet: Gay and Lesbian ...

This landmark book empowers educators to become visible, positive influences and role models for gay and lesbian students in their classrooms and schools.

Karen M Harbeck, 2014

Closet

When Michael is murdered, Todd's homosexuality is exposed, and now that he's out of the closet and under suspicion, he begins to desperately investigate the killings himself

R. D. Zimmerman, 1997

Black & Decker Build Your Own Custom Closet: Designing, ...

This is the book that will lift readers from closet purgatory into the heaven of the well-organized closet-without selling their souls.

Gillett Cole, 2007

Opacity and the Closet: Queer Tactics in Foucault, Barthes, ...

Looking beyond the closet at the lives and works of renowned queer public figures

Nicholas De Villiers, 2012

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CLOSET»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term closet is used in the context of the following news items.

Group Creates Teacher 'Closet' For Supplies

"The 'Teachers Closet' allows Moore County Schools' teachers the ability to get donated supplies for free, along with clothes, shoes, and books ... «Southern Pines Pilot, Jul 15»

Heartbreak in the UFO closet

Fleet Street is enjoying watching the Ministry of Defence squirm, again, as federal censors attempt, again, to get the UFO monkey off its back. «Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Jul 15»

Latina Fashion Closet: 5 Celeb-Inspired Accessories From The …

Hola chicas! Welcome to Latina Fashion Closet with our Editor-at-Large and style expert, Verky Arcos Baldonado. Here, she'll show you quick ... «Latina, Jul 15»

'DIHISCENT: Out of the Closet & Off the Walls'

As Chris Addison explains, “Dihiscent” was the product of a visit to our gallery's off-site storage spaces where they keep much of the work ... «The Georgetown Dish, Jul 15»

Houston mom accused of starving boys, locking them in closet

... with his mother he had been unaware that his mother had been locking his younger brother in the laundry room closet for the past two years. «WLS-TV, Jul 15»

WATCH: 5-year-old hides in closet, devastated over Blues' Oshie trade

She locked herself in a closet, crying. Her mother tells her that Oshie will be on a new team, but the 5-year-old says through tears, "But then we ... «WTHR, Jul 15»

Tab Hunter, Out of the Hollywood Closet and in His Own Words

We sit down with the studio-groomed Golden Boy, partner Allan Glaser and director Jeffrey Schwarz, whose doc 'Tab Hunter Confidential' is a ... «Indie Wire, Jul 15»

ShelfPack: Traveling with a portable closet

Just arrange your clothes on the shelves as if it's a closet, lower the ... lift the legs of the suitcase and your clothes are in a portable closet. «Marianas Variety, Jul 15»

3 Interior Design Trends That Will Inspire Your Summer Closet, So …

Do you ever get a little tired of the fashion merry go round; where the seasons can be almost as predictable as an old school Disney movie ending? Don't worry ... «Bustle, Jul 15»

Don't fret. All you need is a 'Girlfriend In Your Closet'

CAROL LOLLIS Jennifer Roberge, founder of Girlfriend in your closet, goes through Pati Mari's wardrobe at her home in Southampton. «GazetteNET, Jul 15»