Definitions for NEARnɪər

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

nearnɪər(adv. and adj.; prep.; v.)near•er, near•est

(adv.)at, within, or to a short distance; close in space.
close in time:
The new year draws near.
closely with respect to connection, similarity, etc. (often used in combination):
a near-standing position.
almost; nearly:
a period of near 30 years.
Naut. close to the wind.
Category: Nautical, Navy
Archaic. in a thrifty or stingy manner.
(adj.)being close by; not distant:
the near fields.
being the lesser in distance:
the near side.
short or direct:
the near road.
close in time:
the near future.
closely related or connected:
our nearest relatives.
close to an original:
a near translation.
intimate or familiar:
a near and dear friend.
narrow or close:
a near escape.
thrifty or stingy.
(of a vehicle, single animal, or pair of animals hitched side by side) designating the left as seen from the rider's or driver's viewpoint
Category: Common Vocabulary
Ref: (opposed to off 1 48 ).
(prep.)at, to, or within a short distance, or no great distance, from:
regions near the equator.
close to in time:
near the beginning of the year.
close to a condition or state:
to be near death.
(v.i.)to come or draw near; approach.

Idioms for near:

near at hand, in the immediate vicinity. in the near future.
Category: Idiom

Origin of near:

bef. 900; ME nere, OE nēar, comp. of nēahnigh

near′ness(n.)

Princeton's WordNet

near, close, nigh(adj)
not far distant in time or space or degree or circumstances
"near neighbors"; "in the near future"; "they are near equals"; "his nearest approach to success"; "a very near thing"; "a near hit by the bomb"; "she was near tears"; "she was close to tears"; "had a close call"
near(a), nigh(a)(adj)
being on the left side
"the near or nigh horse is the one on the left"; "the animal's left side is its near or nigh side"
near(adj)
closely resembling the genuine article
"near beer"; "a dress of near satin"
cheeseparing, close, near, penny-pinching, skinny(adj)
giving or spending with reluctance
"our cheeseparing administration"; "very close (or near) with his money"; "a penny-pinching miserly old man"
dear, good, near(adj)
with or in a close or intimate relationship
"a good friend"; "my sisters and brothers are near and dear"
approximate, near(verb)
very close in resemblance
"sketched in an approximate likeness"; "a near likeness"
approach, near, come on, go up, draw near, draw close, come near(adverb)
move towards
"We were approaching our destination"; "They are drawing near"; "The enemy army came nearer and nearer"
near, nigh, close(adverb)
near in time or place or relationship
"as the wedding day drew near"; "stood near the door"; "don't shoot until they come near"; "getting near to the true explanation"; "her mother is always near"; "The end draws nigh"; "the bullet didn't come close"; "don't get too close to the fire"
about, almost, most, nearly, near, nigh, virtually, well-nigh(adverb)
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
"the job is (just) about done"; "the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded"; "we're almost finished"; "the car all but ran her down"; "he nearly fainted"; "talked for nigh onto 2 hours"; "the recording is well-nigh perfect"; "virtually all the parties signed the contract"; "I was near exhausted by the run"; "most everyone agrees"

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

near(preposition)ɪər
at a short distance; = close
We live near the old factory.; He moved nearer to her.
nearɪər
at a time that is not far away; = close
Thanksgiving is near the end of November.
nearɪər
indicates a number is slightly higher or lower than sth; = close
With gas prices near the $3 mark, it's getting more expensive to drive a car.; temperatures dropping near zero
nearɪər
similar to; = close
Nobody comes near to him in speed.
nearɪər
in a state similar to; = close
an old man near death; worshipers reaching near ecstasy
near(adjective)ɪər
≠ far
the nearest star to Earth; I could tell the plane was near.
nearɪər
almost sth, or almost in a particular state
a near tragedy; reports that she is near death
nearɪər
the most similar; = the closest
I was the nearest thing to a sister he had.
nearɪər
at a time not very long from now
He'll be visiting again in the near future.
near(adverb)ɪər
at a short distance; = close
as the horses came nearer
nearɪər
at a time that is not far away; = close
as the end of summer drew near
nearɪər
used with adjectives to mean "almost"
a near-perfect score
nearɪər
emphasizes sth is not enough
Six months is nowhere near enough time.
near(verb)ɪər
to come closer to a time; = approach
The year is nearing its end.

Wiktionary

near(Verb)
To decrease the distance to something.
near(Adverb)
Having a small intervening distance with regard to something.
I'm near sighted.
near(Adverb)
nearly
near(Adjective)
physically close.
near(Adjective)
approaching
The end is near.
near(Adjective)
approximate, almost
The two words are near synonyms.
near(Preposition)
close to, in close proximity to.
near(Preposition)
close to in time.
The voyage was near completion.

Origin: From nere, ner, from near, influenced by nær, both originating from nēhwizô, comparative of the adverb nēhw, and from meg'hr- . Cognate with niar, nahor.

Webster Dictionary

Near(adverb)
at a little distance, in place, time, manner, or degree; not remote; nigh
Near(adverb)
nearly; almost; well-nigh
Near(adverb)
closely; intimately
Near(adverb)
not far distant in time, place, or degree; not remote; close at hand; adjacent; neighboring; nigh
Near(adverb)
closely connected or related
Near(adverb)
close to one's interests, affection, etc.; touching, or affecting intimately; intimate; dear; as, a near friend
Near(adverb)
close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling; as, a version near to the original
Near(adverb)
so as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow; as, a near escape
Near(adverb)
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
Near(u)
immediate; direct; close; short
Near(u)
close-fisted; parsimonious
Near(u)
adjacent to; close by; not far from; nigh; as, the ship sailed near the land. See the Note under near, a
Near(adverb)
to approach; to come nearer; as, the ship neared the land
Near(verb)
to draw near; to approach