From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishclosetclos‧et1 /ˈklɒzɪt $ ˈklɑː-, ˈklɒː-/ ●●● S3 noun [countable] 1 especially American EnglishDHF a cupboard built into the wall of a room from the floor to the ceiling → wardrobe a closet full of beautiful clothes2 → come out of the closet3 → be in the closet → water closet, → a skeleton in the closet at skeleton(5)
Examples from the Corpus
closet• I have a closet full of clothes that don't fit.• She threw me in a closet and tied me up.• As for toilet facilities, I have an earth closet so the lack of water does not affect that side of things.• The man's wife had wasted no time going through his closets picking up worn and odd pairs.• Are all your cupboards or closets crammed full?• On the other hand, by downplaying her own commitment to gay rights, she seemed to be validating the political closet.• No point in drawing fire, he argued, as he put the broom back into the closet.• Coming out of the closet is more significant to white lesbians.closetcloset2 adjective → closet homosexual/alcoholic etcExamples from the Corpus
closet• He finally came out in 1998, after years as a closet homosexual.closetcloset3 verb [transitive] ALONEto shut someone in a room away from other people in order to discuss something private, to be alone etcbe closeted with somebody All morning he’d been closeted with various officials.closet yourself Don’t let her closet herself away in her room.Grammar Closet is usually either passive or reflexive (=followed by myself/herself etc).→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
closet• Letterman closets himself with these women all day.• Tom spent most of his time closeted in his study, surrounded by his books.• Think of the many hours when the two of them are closeted in the den.• For an hour we were closeted with Colbert.• He was constantly closeted with the late King.be closeted with somebody• For an hour we were closeted with Colbert.• He was also back to the daily pile of paperwork and would be closeted with secretaries for much of the day.Origin closet1 (1300-1400) Old French clos “enclosed place”, from Latin clausum, from clausus; → CLOSE2 