From Old French closet 'small private room,' diminutive of clos 'enclosure,' from Latin claudere 'to shut.'
A small room or recess used for storing things, especially clothes.
From Old French closet 'small enclosure, small private room,' diminutive of clos 'enclosure,' from Latin clausum, past participle of claudere 'to shut, close.' Originally meant a private room for prayer or study — the storage sense is an American English development from the 18th century. Key roots: *kleh₂u- (Proto-Indo-European: "hook, peg, key (for