Correct, sorry! My phrasing was off-the-cuff and less than precise. File descriptor = reference/pointer-ish thing. File description = referenced data. close(

Correct, sorry! My phrasing was off-the-cuff and less than precise. File descriptor = reference/pointer-ish thing. File description = referenced data. close(2) = decrement refcount to description by closing descriptor; actual destruction of the file's open-ness doesn't happen until refcount == 0.