Definition of "closet" []

• A cabinet or enclosed recess for linens, household supplies, or clothing. (noun)
• A small private chamber, as for study or prayer. (noun)
• A water closet; a toilet. (noun)
• A state of secrecy or cautious privacy: Two days before the election, the candidate suddenly came out of the closet and denounced the proposed law. (noun)
• To enclose or shut up in a private room, as for discussion: closeted themselves with their attorneys. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The lever action in my closet is a Marlin 39 AS I inherited from him."
• "Push a gay person to a point of shame and self-denial — the closet is a far worse place than you can imagine, and leads to far more destructive behavior than you realize."
• "Not to continue to invoke the hallowed name of Buffy, but the care with which Joss Whedon brought Willow into college life and then out of the closet is a good model to follow."