closet

Where does the word "closet" come from? It comes from Old French clos, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Closet’s story begins in Old French: clos meant “an enclosed space.” An enclosed space, from Latin claudere (to close). It reached English by 1300s as closet. Settled as the English word for a small enclosed private room or storage space. Today, closet means a small enclosed space used for storage, especially of clothing.

1. Stage 1 · Old French · medieval clos "an enclosed space", an enclosed space, from Latin claudere (to close).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s closet "a small enclosed storage space or private room", settled as the English word for a small enclosed private room or storage space.