closet
Meaning
a small room or cupboard for storing clothes or other items.
a state of secrecy or concealment, especially regarding one's personal life.
secret; concealed.
Structure
Usage
she hung her coat in the hall closet.
for years, he kept his artistic ambitions in the closet.
they discovered a closet full of old family photographs.
Etymology
the word 'closet' originates from the old french term 'closet', a diminutive of 'clos' meaning an enclosed space. this, in turn, derives from the latin past participle 'clausus' (shut, closed), from the verb 'claudere' (to shut, close, or enclose). the literal meaning was a small private room for prayer or study, an enclosure off a larger room. over time, the sense shifted from a small private room to its modern primary meaning of a small cupboard or recess for storage, retaining the core concept of a closed, confined space. the figurative senses of secrecy ("in the closet") logically extend from this idea of something being shut away from view.
Analysis
clos: from old french 'clos', past participle of 'clore' (to close), from latin 'clausus', from 'claudere' (to shut, close). et: a diminutive suffix from old french '-et', used to form nouns denoting a small version of something.