Meanings
adverbclose to the vest (comparative closer to the vest, superlative closest to the vest)
comparative closer to the vest · superlative closest to the vest · alternative close to one's vest
Origin
Referring to the practice of holding one's playing cards close to one's chest so that the other players cannot see one's hand.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
close to the vest. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20to%20the%20vest
MLA
“close to the vest.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20to%20the%20vest. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “close to the vest,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20to%20the%20vest.
Source: close to the vest on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.