Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Near \Near\ (n[=e]r), adv. [AS. ne['a]r, compar. of ne['a]h
   nigh. See {Nigh}.]
   1. At a little distance, in place, time, manner, or degree;
      not remote; nigh.

            My wife! my traitress! let her not come near me.
                                                  --Milton.

   2. Nearly; almost; well-nigh. ``Near twenty years ago.''
      --Shak. ``Near a fortnight ago.'' --Addison.

            Near about the yearly value of the land. --Locke.

   3. 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.

Near \Near\, prep.
   Adjacent to; close by; not far from; nigh; as, the ship
   sailed near the land. See the Note under {near}, a.

Near \Near\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Neared}; p. pr. & vb. n
   {Nearing}.] [See {Near}, adv.]
   To approach; to come nearer; as, the ship neared the land.

Near \Near\, a. [Compar. {Nearer}; superl. {Nearest}.] [See
   {Near}, adv.]
   1. Not far distant in time, place, or degree; not remote;
      close at hand; adjacent; neighboring; nigh. ``As one near
      death.'' --Shak.

            He served great Hector, and was ever near, Not with
            his trumpet only, but his spear.      --Dryden.

   2. Closely connected or related.

            She is thy father's near kinswoman.   --Lev. xviii.
                                                  12.

   3. Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; touching, or
      affecting intimately; intimate; dear; as, a near friend.

   4. Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose,
      or rambling; as, a version near to the original.

   5. So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close;
      narrow; as, a near escape.

   6. Next to the driver, when he is on foot; in the Unted
      States, on the left of an animal or a team; as, the near
      ox; the near leg. See {Off side}, under {Off}, a.

   7. Immediate; direct; close; short. ``The nearest way.''
      --Milton.

   8. Close-fisted; parsimonious. [Obs. or Low, Eng.]

   Note: Near may properly be followed by to before the thing
         approached'; but more frequently to is omitted, and the
         adjective or the adverb is regarded as a preposition.
         The same is also true of the word nigh.

   Syn: Nigh; close; adjacent; proximate; contiguous; present;
        ready; intimate; dear.

Near \Near\, v. i.
   To draw near; to approach.

         A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist! And still it neared,
         and neared.                              --Coleridge.

Source : WordNet®

near
     adj 1: not far distant in time or space or degree or circumstances;
            "near neighbors"; "in the near future"; "they are near
            equals"; "his nearest approach to success"; "a very
            near thing"; "a near hit by the bomb"; "she was near
            tears"; "she was close to tears"; "had a close call"
            [syn: {close}] [ant: {far}]
     2: being on the left side; "the near or nigh horse is the one
        on the left"; "the animal's left side is its near or nigh
        side" [syn: {near(a)}, {nigh(a)}]
     3: closely resembling the genuine article; "near beer"; "a
        dress of near satin"
     4: giving or spending with reluctance; "our cheeseparing
        administration"; "very close (or near) with his money"; "a
        penny-pinching miserly old man" [syn: {cheeseparing}, {close},
         {penny-pinching}]
     5: with or in a close or intimate relationship; "a good
        friend"; "my sisters and brothers are near and dear" [syn:
         {dear}, {good}]
     6: very close in resemblance; "sketched in an approximate
        likeness"; "a near likeness" [syn: {approximate}]

near
     adv 1: near in time or place or relationship; "as the wedding day
            drew near"; "stood near the door"; "don't shoot until
            they come near"; "getting near to the true
            explanation"; "her mother is always near"; "The end
            draws nigh"; "the bullet didn't come close"; "don't
            get too close to the fire" [syn: {nigh}, {close}]
     2: (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite
        accomplished; `near' is sometimes used informally for
        `nearly' and `most' is sometimes used informally for
        `almost'; "the job is (just) about done"; "the baby was
        almost asleep when the alarm sounded"; "we're almost
        finished"; "the car all but ran her down"; "he nearly
        fainted"; "talked for nigh onto 2 hours"; "the recording
        is well-nigh perfect"; "virtually all the parties signed
        the contract"; "I was near exhausted by the run"; "most
        everyone agrees" [syn: {about}, {just about}, {almost}, {most},
         {all but}, {nearly}, {nigh}, {virtually}, {well-nigh}]

near
     v : move towards; "We were approaching our destination"; "They
         are drawing near"; "The enemy army came nearer and
         nearer" [syn: {approach}, {come on}, {go up}, {draw near},
          {draw close}, {come near}]