The Collaborative International Dictionary
Near \Near\ (n[=e]r), adv. [AS. ne['a]r, compar. of ne['a]h nigh. See Nigh.]
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At a little distance, in place, time, manner, or degree; not remote; nigh.
My wife! my traitress! let her not come near me.
--Milton. -
Nearly; almost; well-nigh. ``Near twenty years ago.''
--Shak. ``Near a fortnight ago.''
--Addison.Near about the yearly value of the land.
--Locke. -
Closely; intimately.
--Shak.Far and near, at a distance and close by; throughout a whole region.
To come near to, to want but little of; to approximate to. ``Such a sum he found would go near to ruin him.''
--Addison.Near the wind (Naut.), close to the wind; closehauled.
Far \Far\, adv.
To a great extent or distance of space; widely; as, we are separated far from each other.
To a great distance in time from any point; remotely; as, he pushed his researches far into antiquity.
In great part; as, the day is far spent.
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In a great proportion; by many degrees; very much; deeply; greatly. Who can find a virtuous woman ? for her price is far above rubies. --Prov. xxxi. 10. As far as, to the extent, or degree, that. See As far as, under As. Far off.
At a great distance, absolutely or relatively.
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Distant in sympathy or affection; alienated. ``But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who some time were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.''
--Eph. ii. 13.Far other, different by a great degree; not the same; quite unlike.
--Pope.Far and near, at a distance and close by; throughout a whole region.
Far and wide, distantly and broadly; comprehensively. ``Far and wide his eye commands.''
--Milton.From far, from a great distance; from a remote place.
Note: Far often occurs in self-explaining compounds, such as far-extended, far-reaching, far-spread.
WordNet
adv. over great areas or distances; everywhere; "he traveled far and wide"; "the news spread far and wide"; "people came from far and near"; "searched for the child far and near" [syn: far and wide]
Usage examples of "far and near".
Bill had taken four times that already, for the news of the giant had spread, and tradespeople in carts, and gentlepeople in carriages, came from far and near.
Know that this Glory which shines before you is mine indeed in the land that is both far and near, the land wherein I dwell eternally, and that what is mine has been, is, and shall be yours for ever.
Every day of the week, hundreds and hundreds of children from far and near came pouring into the City to see the marvelous peach stone in the Park.
Alleys for pedestrians intersected the pens, which soon became crowded with buyers and sellers from far and near.
There were greater matters in the program- for on that day he would have to preside at a council which would take his views and commands concerning the policy to be pursued toward various foreign nations scattered far and near over the great globe.
On everything- far and near- lay the magic crystal glitter seen only at that time autumn.
Someone sounded a hoarse blast on a horn nearby, and others began sounding their doleful notes far and near.
You'd no sooner raised sand than they were up and streaking in from far and near.
They saw the galleys along the beach, which, lowering their awnings, displayed themselves decked with streamers and pennons that trembled in the breeze and kissed and swept the water, while on board the bugles, trumpets, and clarions were sounding and filling the air far and near with melodious warlike notes.
He had the roads about the castle far and near, everywhere he thought Don Quixote was likely to pass on his return, occupied by large numbers of his servants on foot and on horseback, who were to bring him to the castle, by fair means or foul, if they met him.
With October had come the time for holding the great Fair which was celebrated every five years at Nottingham Town, to which folk came from far and near throughout the country.
Over the wall from the highway was a fringe of young trees and bushes, and here and there the wall itself was covered by a mass of blossoming woodbine that filled all the warm air far and near with its sweet summer odor.