clud

shut, close

Quick Summary

The Latin root word clud and its variants clus and clos all mean “shut.” These roots are the word origin of many English vocabulary words, including exclude, exclusive, and closet. When you include someone, you “shut” him in, thus performing the act of inclusion, thereby closing or “shutting” him into your group.

Don't Shut Down "Clud"

The Latin root word clud and its variants clus and clos all mean “shut.”

Humans love to “shut” things and people both in and out. When you include someone in a group, you “shut” him in. When you exclude him, you “shut” him out. When you conclude that an idea is correct, you have thoroughly “shut” any debate on the issue of its truthfulness. And a secluded area? It is “shut” apart from civilization.

The spelling variant clus also means “shut.” A recluse has “shut” himself back from civilization, preferring solitude. He wishes to live in seclusion, “shut” apart from society. His exclusion, or “shutting” out from society, would be on a purely voluntary basis. It is hard to know how a hermit arrives at such a conclusion, or act of thoroughly “shutting” out all possibilities except one, in this example of wanting complete solitude.

A spelling variant of clus is clos, which also means “shut.” When you close a door, you of course “shut” it. When you enclose something, you “shut” it in. When there is closure at the end of a novel, the plot is all tidy and “shut,” that is, all loose ends are accounted for. And if someone you know is closed-minded? His mind is “shut” to new ideas.

Time for me to “shut” up about clud, clus, and clos, otherwise Santa “Claus” may bring me nothing but "clutt"er and “clothes!”

  1. include: ‘shut’ in
  2. exclude: ‘shut’ out
  3. conclude: thoroughly ‘shut’
  4. seclude: ‘shut’ apart
  5. recluse: person ‘shut’ back from civilization
  6. seclusion: a ‘shutting’ apart
  7. exclusion: a ‘shutting’ out
  8. conclusion: a thorough ‘shutting’
  9. close: ‘shut’
  10. enclose: ‘shut’ in
  11. closure: a ‘shutting’ of something, such as a book or school year
  12. closed-minded: having a mind that is ‘shut’ to new ideas

Usage

  • occlude

    If something, such as a road, is occluded, it has been closed off or blocked; therefore, cars are prevented from continuing on their way until the road is opened once again.

  • preclude

    When you preclude something from happening, you prevent it from doing so.

  • conclude

    decide by reasoning

  • exclude

    prevent from being included or considered or accepted

  • include

    have as a part, be made up out of

  • seclude

    keep away from others

  • secluded

    hidden from general view or use

Related Word Parts

Differentiated vocabulary for your students is just a click away.