close quarter

/ˌkləʊs ˈkwɔː(ɹ)tə(ɹ)/

noun

any of several strong wooden barriers erected across the deck of a merchant sailing ship, having loopholes through which muskets could be fired to resist boarding attacks

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Meanings

nounclose quarter (plural close quarters)

plural close quarters

  1. nauticalany of several strong wooden barriers erected across the deck of a merchant sailing ship, having loopholes through which muskets could be fired to resist boarding attacks

Origin

Originally closed quarter (“section or area”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

close quarter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20quarter

MLA

“close quarter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20quarter. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “close quarter,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20quarter.

Source: close quarter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.