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near2 S2 W3
1 only a short distance away from someone or something [↪ close, nearby]: 
It's a beautiful house but it's 20 miles away from the nearest town.We can meet at the pub or in the restaurant, whichever's nearer for you.
It's a beautiful house but it's 20 miles away from the nearest town.We can meet at the pub or in the restaurant, whichever's nearer for you.2 almost a disaster, collapse etc : The election was a near disaster for the Conservative party.
a near disaster/collapse etc
The election was a near disaster for the Conservative party.3 the thing you have that is most like a particular type of thing : He's the nearest thing to a father I've got.
the nearest thing/equivalent to something
He's the nearest thing to a father I've got.5
be a near thing
British Englisha) if something you succeed in doing is a near thing, you manage to succeed but you nearly failed : They won the championship, but it was a near thing.
They won the championship, but it was a near thing.b) used to say that you just managed to avoid a dangerous or unpleasant situation : That was a near thing - that truck was heading straight for us.
That was a near thing - that truck was heading straight for us.6
near miss
a) when a bomb, plane, car etc nearly hits something but does not : a near miss between two passenger aircraft over the airport
a near miss between two passenger aircraft over the airportb) a situation in which something almost happens, or someone almost achieves something
7HMN an amount to the nearest £10, hundred etc is the number nearest to it that can be divided by £10, a hundred etc : Give me the car mileage to the nearest thousand.
to the nearest £10/hundred etc
Give me the car mileage to the nearest thousand.8
a) a relative who is very closely related to you such as a parent : The death of a near relative is a terrible trauma for a child.
near relative/relation
The death of a near relative is a terrible trauma for a child.9 [only before noun, no comparative]
a) used to describe the side of something that is closest to where you are : the near bank of the river
the near bank of the riverb) TTC British English used when talking about the parts of a vehicle to mean the one that is closest to the side of the road when you drive [≠ off]: The headlight on the near side isn't working.
The headlight on the near side isn't working. ➔ nearly
; ➔ nowhere near
at nowhere (4) —nearness noun [uncountable]
