land name for the horse-mackerel.

CLOSE-ABOARD. Near or alongside; too close to be safe. "The boat is
close aboard," a caution to the officer in command to receive his
visitor. "The land is close aboard," danger inferred.

CLOSE-BUTT. Where caulking is not used, the butts or joints of the
planks are sometimes rabbeted, and fayed close, whence they are thus
denominated.

CLOSE CONTRACT. One not advertised.

CLOSED PORT. One interdicted.

CLOSE-FIST. One who drives a hard bargain in petty traffic.

CLOSE HARBOUR. That is one gained by labour from the element, formed by
encircling a portion of water with walls and quays, except at the
entrance, or by excavating the land adjacent to the sea or river, and
then letting in the water.

CLOSE-HAULED. The general arrangement or trim of a ship's sails when she
endeavours to progress in the nearest direction possible contrary to the
wind; in this manner of sailing the keel of square-rigged vessels
commonly makes an angle of six points with the line of the wind, but
cutters, luggers, and other fore-and-aft rigged vessels will sail even
nearer. This point of sailing is synonymous with _on a taut bowline_ and
_on a wind_.

CLOSE PACK. The ice floes so jammed together that boring is impossible,
and present efforts useless. (_See_ PACK-ICE.)

CLOSE-PORTS. Those which lie up rivers; a term in contradistinction to
_out-ports_.

CLOSE-QUARTERS, OR CLOSE-FIGHTS. Certain strong bulk-heads or barriers
of wood, formerly stretching across a merchant ship in several places;
they were used for retreat and shelter when a ship was boarded by an
adversary, and were therefore fitted with loop-holes. Powder-chests were
also fixed upon the deck, containing missiles which might be fired from
the close quarters upon the boarders. The old slave-ships were thus
fitted in case of the negroes rising, and flat-headed nails were cast
along the deck to prevent their walking with naked feet. In the navy,
yard-arm and yard-arm, sides touching.

CLOSE-REEFED. The last reefs of the top-sails, or other sails set, being
taken in.

CLOSE-SIGHT. The notch in the base-ring of a cannon, to place the eye in
a line with the top-sight.

CLOSE THE WIND, TO. To haul to it.--_Close upon a tack or bowline_, or
_close by a wind_, is when the wind is on either bow, and the tacks or
bowlines are hauled forwards that they may take the wind to make the
best of their way.--_Close to the wind_, when her head is just