near adverb [AS. neár, compar. of neáh nigh. See Nigh.]

[AS. neár, compar. of neáh nigh. See Nigh.]

1. At a little distance, in place, time, manner, or degree; not remote; nigh.

My wife! my traitress! let her not come near me. Milton.

2. Nearly; almost; well-nigh.

“Near twenty years ago.” Shak.

“Near a fortnight ago.” Addison.

Near about the yearly value of the land. Locke.

3. Closely; intimately. Shak.

Far and near

at a distance and close by; throughout a whole region.

To come near to

to want but little of; to approximate to.

“Such a sum he found would go near to ruin him.” Addison.

Near the wind (Naut.)

close to the wind; closehauled.

Near adjective [comparative Nearer; superlative Nearest.] [See Near, adverb]

1. Not far distant in time, place, or degree; not remote; close at hand; adjacent; neighboring; nigh.

“As one near death.” Shak.

He served great Hector, and was ever near,
Not with his trumpet only, but his spear. Dryden.

2. Closely connected or related.

She is thy father’s near kinswoman. Lev. xviii. 12.

3. Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; touching, or affecting intimately; intimate; dear; as, a near friend.

4. Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling; as, a version near to the original.

5. So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow{3}; as, a near escape; a near miss.

6. 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, adjective.

7. Immediate; direct; close; short. “The nearest way.” Milton.8. Close-fisted; parsimonious. [Obs. or Low, Eng.]

☞ Near may properly be followed by to before the thing approached; but more frequently to is omitted, and the adjective or the adverb is regarded as a preposition. The same is also true of the word nigh. Syn. – Nigh; close; adjacent; proximate; contiguous; present; ready; intimate; familiar; dear.

Near preposition Adjacent to; close by; not far from; nigh; as, the ship sailed near the land. See the Note under near, adjective

Near transitive verb [imperfect or past participle Neared; present participle or verbal noun Nearing.] [See Near, adverb] To approach; to come nearer; as, the ship neared the land. Near intransitive verb To draw near; to approach.

A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist! And still it neared, and neared. Coleridge.