prae-clūdo, si, sum, 3, v. a. [claudo], to shut in front, hence, in gen., to shut to, to close (class.).
I Lit.: portas praeclusit, Caes. B. C. 2, 19 fin. : praecludere portas consuli, id. ib. 3, 12: fores, Prop. 2, 4 (5), 21: portus classi, Luc. 9, 39: horrea, Suet. Calig. 26 fin. : via lapidum ruinā praeclusa, blocked up , Suet. Oth. 8 fin. —Transf., with a personal object: praeclusit cunctos negotiatores, i. e. closed their shops , Suet. Ner. 32.—
II Transf.
1 To close a thing to any one, i. e. to forbid access to : omnem orbem terrarum civibus Romanis, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 65, § 168: maritimos cursus praecludebat hiemis magnitudo, id. Planc. 40, 96: sibi curiam, id. Pis. 17, 40: omnes sibi aditus misericordiae judicum, id. Verr. 2, 5, 8, § 21. —
2 To shut up or off , to hinder , stop , impede : effugium alicui, Lucr. 1, 973: vocem alicui, Liv. 33, 13, 5; cf.: linguam cani, ne latret, Phaedr. 1, 22, 5.