DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
Near a. [Compar. Nearer superl. Nearest.]
1. Not far distant in time, place, or degree; not remote; close at hand; adjacent; neighboring; nigh. “As one near death.”
He served great Hector, and was ever near,
Not with his trumpet only, but his spear. --Dryden.
2. Closely connected or related.
She is thy father's near kinswoman. --Lev. xviii. 12.
3. Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; touching, or affecting intimately; intimate; dear; as, a near friend.
4. Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling; as, a version near to the original.
5. So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow3; as, a near escape; a near miss.
6. Next to the driver, when he is on foot; in the Unted States, on the left of an animal or a team; as, the near ox; the near leg. See Off side, under Off, a.
7. Immediate; direct; close; short. “The nearest way.”
8. Close-fisted; parsimonious. [Obs. or Low, Eng.]
Note: ☞ Near may properly be followed by to before the thing approached; but more frequently to is omitted, and the adjective or the adverb is regarded as a preposition. The same is also true of the word nigh.
Syn: -- Nigh; close; adjacent; proximate; contiguous; present; ready; intimate; familiar; dear.
nearer
adj : (comparative of `near') being the one of two that is less
distant in space; "we walked to the nearer house"
adv : (comparative of `near' or `close') within a shorter
distance; "come closer, my dear!"; "they drew nearer";
"getting nearer to the true explanation" [syn: nigher,
closer]