english word · 2026-09-23
closure
noun
Meaning
A function that remembers and can access the variables from the environment where it was originally created, even after that environment has finished executing. It is like a traveler carrying a backpack of supplies from home into a new territory.
Etymology
Derived from the Middle English 'closen', from Old French 'clore', meaning to shut or enclose.
Examples
"I used a closure to create a private counter that can't be modified from the global scope."
"The inner function has a closure over the 'userId' variable, so it still knows who the user is when the callback finally triggers."
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