Also 4–7 closett, 5–6 -ette, 6 claus(s)et, Sc. closat, 6–7 closset, 7 clossett. [a. OF. closet, dim. of clos:—L. clausum: see CLOSE sb.1 and -ET. In later Fr. applied exclusively to a small enclosure in the open air.]
1. A room for privacy or retirement; a private room; an inner chamber; formerly often = BOWER 2, 2 b; in later use always a small room: see 4.
1370[?]. Robt. Cicyle, 57. A slepe hym toke In hys closet.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, II. 1215. In a closet for to avyse her bettre, She went alone.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xxii. 80. In her closet she hideth herself sore sighyng.
1530. Palsgr., 206/1. Closet for a lady to make her redy in, chamberette.
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, II. (1625), 103. We doe call the most secret place in the house appropriate unto our owne private studies … a Closet.
1611. Bible, Joel ii. 16. Let the bridegroome goe forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
1679–88. Secr. Serv. Money Chas. & Jas. (1851), 133. The Queen’s garden closet at Windsor.
1713. Swift, Frenzy J. Denny. While I was in my closet pondering the case of one of my patients.
1750. Johnson, Rambler, No. 14, ¶ 3. A sudden intruder into the closet of an author.
b. esp. Such a room as the place of private devotion (with allusion to 1611 version of Matt. vi. 6). arch.
1611. Bible, Matt. vi. 6. When thou prayest, enter into thy closet [Wyclif couch, 16th c. versions chamber, 1881 Rev. inner chamber].
c. 1680. Beveridge, Serm. (1729), I. 535. Retire into your closet, or some private place, and there look back upon your lives.
1888. Abp. Benson, in Times, 15 Aug., 8/4. Many of our devout poor can find neither space nor quiet for the solitary closet prayer which ‘the Father seeth.’ For them the retirement of the spacious lonely church is the ‘closet’ of Christ.
c. As the place of private study or secluded speculation; esp. in reference to mere theories as opposed to practical measures.
a. 1600. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., VII. xxiv. § 15. At home or abroad, at their tables or in their closets.
1746. Chesterf., Lett. (1870), 26. The knowledge of the world is only to be acquired in the world, and not in the Closet.
1789. Gouv. Morris, in Sparks, Life & Writ. (1832), I. 311. In their closets they make men exactly suited to their systems; but unluckily they are such men as exist nowhere else.
1880. W. A. Wright, Shaks. Rich. III., Pref. 60. Richard the Third, although not a play for the closet, has always been a favourite upon the stage.
1889. Spectator, 23 March, 392/1. A reduction in hours is, moreover, the project … which … most attracts the philanthropists of the closet.
2. The private apartment of a monarch or potentate; the private council-chamber; a room in a palace used by the sovereign for private or household devotions. Obs. exc. Hist. † Clerk of the Closet: see CLERK 6 c. † b. A pew in the chapel of a castle occupied by the lord and his family, or in a Chapel Royal by the Royal family. Obs.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 934. Chaplaynez to þe chapeles chosen þe gate … Þe lorde loutes þerto, & þe lady als, In-to a comly closet coyntly ho entrez.
1530. Palsgr., 206/1. Closet, chapelle.
1549. Latimer, Serm. bef. Edw. VI., i. (Arb.), 38. Shall any of his sworne chapelins? No. Thei bee of the clausset and kepe close such matters.
1565. Act 8 Eliz., c. 4 § 1. Common Prayer in Churches, Chapels, Closets and Oratories.
1565. Jewell, Def. Apol. (1611), 104. That S. Peter … sitteth with him [the Pope] in Consistory, or in Clauset, discussing of Cases.
1625. Meade, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 315, III. 202. If the Queens Closet where they now say masse were not large enough, let them have it in the Great Chamber.
1769. Junius Lett., xii. 52. You have now a strength sufficient to command the closet.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 547. James called into his closet Arnold Van Citters … and Everard Van Dykvelt.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), II. App. 618. Private dealings in the royal closet would be much more likely to be known, and to seem of great importance, to a courtier and royal chaplain.
3. a. A private repository of valuables or (esp. in later use) curiosities; a cabinet. arch. or Obs. In china-closet (q.v.) this passes into b.
[1598. Shaks., Merry W., I. iv. 46. Pray you goe and vetch me in my Closset.] Ibid. (1601), Jul. C., III. ii. 134. But heere’s a Parchment … I found it in his Closset, ’tis his Will. Ibid. (1605), Lear, III. iii. 12. I haue lock’d the Letter in my Closset.
1659. Ashmole, Diary (1774), 326. Mr. Tradescant and his wife told me they had been long considering upon whom to bestow their closet of curiosities when they died.
1680. in Somers, Tracts, I. 116. The late House of Commons have … seized Closets and Writings without Information.
1708. J. Chamberlain, St. Gt. Brit., II. I. ii. (1743), 291. Silver coins … still preserved in the closets of the curious.
1756–7. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), III. 325. A closet full of pieces of rock crystal.
b. A small side-room or recess for storing utensils, provisions, etc.; a cupboard. (Not very distinct from 4.)
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Country Farme, 584. The Confectionarie or closet of sweet meates.
1628. Wither, Brit. Rememb., I. 198. The Storehouse, and the Closset of our dainties.
1799. Jane Austen, Lett. (1884), I. 209. A closet full of shelves … it should therefore be called a cupboard rather than a closet.
c. Skeleton in the closet (or cupboard): a private or concealed trouble in one’s house or circumstances, ever present, and ever liable to come into view: see SKELETON.
4. With special reference to size: Any small room: especially one belonging to or communicating with a larger. Common in north of Engl., Scotland, Ireland; bed-closet, a small bed-room.
1768. Sterne, Sent. Journ., Case of Delicacy. The little room within was a damp cold closet.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), II. 596. When the family is squeezed up in scanty closets for the sake of having a spacious hall.
1789. P. Smyth, trans. Aldrich’s Archit. (1818), 127. Closets are adapted to the larger apartments.
† 5. fig. The den or lair of a wild beast. Obs.
1576. A. Fleming, trans. Caius’ Dogs, The Tumbler, 11. This sorte of Dogges … doth soddenly gripe it [the beast] at the very entrance and mouth of their receptacles, or closets.
6. a. transf. That which affords retirement like a private chamber, or which encloses like a cabinet; a hidden or secret place, retreat, recess. † Closet of the heart: the pericardium; see also b.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 11929. The knightes in the closet [the Trojan horse] comyn out swithe.
1450–1530. Myrr. Our Ladye, 233. Went the sonne of god oute of the pryuy closet of the maydens wombe.
1594. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., II. 221. This skinne … is also called the litle closet of the heart.
c. 1630. Drumm. of Hawth., Poems, Wks. 51. Him, whom … Mary’s pure closet now doth bear.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. i. 178. What Adam dreamt of when his Bride Came from her closet in his side.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 147. We see them [our souls] bound … to the narrow closet of a mans body.
b. fig.
1413. Lydgate, Pilgr. Sowle, V. xiv. (1483), 110. Within a lytel closet of his entendement.
1577. Hanmer, Anc. Eccl. Hist., 419. The grace of God resiant in the closset of his breste.
1633. T. Stafford, Pac. Hib., ii. (1821), 37. Enter … into the Closet of your Conscience.
1862. Goulburn, Pers. Relig., iv. (1873), 40. The Closet of the heart.
7. Short for † ‘Closet of ease,’ ‘water-closet.’
1662. Gerbier, Princ., 27. A Closet of ease.
1869. E. A. Parkes, Pract. Hygiene (ed. 3), 4. Some persons will use the closet twice daily.
1887. Spectator, 12 March, 345/2. The stench from the overcrowding or from closets is almost unbearable.
8. Her. An ordinary resembling the BAR (sb.1 6), but of half its breadth.
1572. Bossewell, Armorie, 12 b. A Closset is the halfe of the Barre, and tenne of them maie be borne in one fielde.
1766–87. Porny, Heraldry, iv. 74. The Bar has two Diminutives, the closet which contains half of the Bar, and the Barrulet, which is the half of the closet.
† 9. A sewer. Sc. Obs.
[Translating L. cloaca: origin doubtful; there is nothing like it in French.]
1533. Bellenden, Livy (1822), 70 (Jam.). He drewe mony closettis, condittis, and sinkis fra the hight of the toun to the merket and uthir law partis thairof.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., III. 499. Out-throw ane closat quhair the filth did ryn Of all that place.
10. attrib., as a. closet-candlestick, -door, etc.; esp. in reference to the closet as b. a place of private devotion, as closet-chapel, -devotion, -meditation, -prayer, -religion, -vow; or c. of private study and speculation, as closet-lucubration, -philosopher, -politician, -reasoner, -speculation, -student, -study, etc.; d. in sense 2, closet-chaplain, -work; e. in sense 3, closet-keeper, † closet-draught, -picture (= cabinet drawing or picture).
1685. Lond. Gaz., No. 2068/4. One *Closet Candlestick, with Snuffers and Extinguisher.
1647. Fuller, Good Th. in Worse T. (1841), 130. What, several *closet-chapels for those of the same bed and board?
1649. Milton, Eikon., xxiv. 492. Reasons, why he should rather pray by the officiating mouth of a *Closet-chaplain.
1691–8. Norris, Pract. Disc., 120. The general defect of our common *Closet-devotions. Ibid., 339. Those great Master-pieces of his Art, those *Closet-Draughts of his beauty.
1851. Sir F. Palgrave, Norm. & Eng., I. 61. None of the Desk and *Closet-helps for philological study.
1666. Pepys, Diary (1879), III. 422. Tom Cheffins … the king’s *closett-keeper.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), II. 206. The office of closet-keeper to the King.
1818. B. O’Reilly, Greenland, 243. Sailing to the north pole has been long a very favourite subject for *closet lucubration.
1815. W. Phillips, Outl. Min. & Geol. (1818), 101. The speculations of mere *closet-philosophers.
1721. Lond. Gaz., No. 6003/3. Great choice of the finest *Closet Pictures.
1815. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1830), IV. 247. *Closet politicians merely, unpractised in the knowledge of men.
1678. Bunyan, Pilgr., I. 216. They cast off … private Duties, as *Closet-Prayer.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), III. 328. They [Bp. J. Taylor’s Treatises] are in use … as well for Church-Service as *Closet-Preparation.
1782. Miss Burney, Cecilia, I. ii. (1783), 21. The *closet reasoner.
1803. Chalmers, Lett., in Life (1851), I. 476. Nature takes her own way, unmindful of the *closet speculations of theory.
1848. Mill, Pol. Econ., III. xxiv. § 1 (1876), 394. Not *closet students … but men of the world and of business.
1886. Q. Rev., April, 519. The *closet-study which had analysed the experiences of the … world.
1649. Milton, Eikon., xxiv. 489. They knew the King … to have suckt from them and their *Closetwork all his impotent principles of Tyrannie and Superstition.
† 11. In reference to the closet as a place of privacy, the word was formerly almost adjectival = Private. Obs.
1612–5. Bp. Hall, Contempl. (1634), 111 (T.). There are stage-sins; and there are closet sinnes.
1657. Austen, Fruit Trees, II. 159. The secret and closet good works of his [God’s] people.
1706. Drake, Pref. to Secr. Mem. Earl Leicester. That these were not written for closet memoirs appears by the stile and manner of them.
