Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: clos 'enclosed place', from Latin clausum, from clausus; CLOSE2

closet

1 noun
     
clos‧et1 S3 [countable]
1 especially American English a cupboard built into the wall of a room from the floor to the ceiling [↪ wardrobe]:
a closet full of beautiful clothes
2

come out of the closet

a) to tell people that you are homosexual after hiding the fact [= come out]
b) to admit something or to start to discuss something that was kept secret before
3

be in the closet

American English informal to not tell people that you are homosexual
➔ water closet

; ➔ a skeleton in the closet

at skeleton (5)
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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