near
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: enpr: nîr
ipa: /nɪə̯/
ipa: /nɪː/
enpr: nîr
ipa: /nɪɚ/
enpr: nîr
ipa: /nɪə̯/
ipa: [nɪː]
ipa: [niːɹ]
note: cheer–chair merger
ipa: /nɛə/
rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
Forms: form: nearer
form: nearest
Etymology: From Middle English nere, ner, from Old English nēar (“nearer”, comparative of nēah (“nigh”), the superlative would become next), influenced by Old Norse nær (“near”), both originating from Proto-Germanic *nēhwiz (“nearer”), comparative of the adverb *nēhw (“near”), from the adjective *nēhwaz, ultimately from Pre-Proto-Germanic *h₂nḗḱwos, a lengthened-grade adjective derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”).
Cognate with Old Frisian niār (“nearer”), Dutch naar (“to, towards”), German näher (“nearer”), Danish nær (“near, close”), Norwegian nær (“near, close”) Swedish nära (“near, close”). See also nigh.
Near appears to be derived from (or at the very least influenced by) the North Germanic languages; compare Danish nær (“near, close”), Norwegian nær (“near, close”) Swedish nära (“near, close”), as opposed to nigh, which continues the inherited West Germanic adjective, like Dutch na (“close, near”), German nah (“close, near, nearby”), Luxembourgish no (“nearby, near, close”). Both, however, are ultimately derived from the same Proto-Germanic root: *nēhw (“near, close”).
Senses: examples: text: I can't see near objects very clearly without my glasses.
text: Stay near at all times.
text: At the end of the line nearest the Arch, under a flary light, stood an old bearded man having the look on his face of a kindly but somewhat irritated moo-cow.
ref: 1914, Irvin S. Cobb, Europe Revised:
synonyms: close
antonyms: remote
glosses: Physically close.
examples: text: The end is near.
text: We're getting near to Xmas.
glosses: Close in time.
examples: text: The deceased man had no near relatives.
text: she is thy fathers neere kinswoman.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Leviticus 18:12:
glosses: Closely connected or related.
examples: text: A matter of near consequence to me.
text: a near friend
text: The Besht preached that the simple man, imbued with native faith and able to pray fervently and wholeheartedly with a sense of joy in his heart, was nearer and dearer to God than the learned but joyless formalist spending his whole life in the study of Talmud.
ref: 2017, Velvel Pasternak, Behind the Music, Stories, Anecdotes, Articles and Reflections, page 225:
glosses: Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; intimate; dear.
examples: text: a version near to the original
glosses: Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling.
examples: text: a near escape
glosses: So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow.
examples: text: The two words are near synonyms.
glosses: Approximate, almost.
examples: text: The near front wheel came loose.
antonyms: off
glosses: On the side nearest to the kerb (the left-hand side if one drives on the left).
raw_tags: in relation to a vehicle
examples: text: the near ox; the near leg
glosses: Next to the driver, when he is on foot; (US) on the left of an animal or a team.
examples: text: Toward ſolid good what leads the neareſt way;
ref: 1673, John Milton, “[Sonnet] [Sonnet] XVII”, in Poems, &c. upon Several Occasions, London: […] Tho[mas] Dring […], →OCLC, page 61:
glosses: Immediate; direct; close; short.
examples: text: Don't be near with your pocketbook.
text: [T]o let you know, Miss, he's so near, it's partly a wonder how he lives at all: and yet he's worth a power of money, too.
ref: 1782, [Frances Burney], chapter I, in Cecilia, or Memoirs of an Heiress. […], volume II, London: […] T[homas] Payne and Son […], and T[homas] Cadell […], →OCLC:
glosses: Stingy; parsimonious.
examples: text: a near pointer
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
programming
sciences
antonyms: far
glosses: Within the currently selected segment in a segmented memory architecture.
Synonyms: sense: almost
word: nigh
sense: almost
word: quasi-
word: around the corner
word: citerior
word: close
word: close by
word: immediate
word: near
word: nearby
word: present
word: propinquitous
word: proximate
Hyponyms: word: adjacent
word: adjoining
word: bordering
Derived terms: as near as matters
Kingston near Lewes
nearable
nearabout
nearabouts
near abroad
near-antonym
near as a toucher
nearbout
nearby
nearcation
near-earth
near-Earth
Near East
nearest and dearest
near-fall
nearfall
near gale
nearhand
near infrared
nearish
Near Islands
near letter-quality
nearline
nearling
nearly
near miss
near-native
nearness
near ox
near real-time
near relative
near rhyme
Near Sawrey
nearshore
near space
near surface
near-surface
near-syncope
near the mark
nearwork
overnear
pertineer
unnear
unnearable
well-near
why is the ocean near the shore
Related terms: word: next
word: modicum