SILENCE

muteness, silence

(noun) a refusal to speak when expected; “his silence about my contribution was surprising”

secrecy, secretiveness, silence

(noun) the trait of keeping things secret

silence, quiet

(noun) the absence of sound; “he needed silence in order to sleep”; “the street was quiet”

silence

(noun) the state of being silent (as when no one is speaking); “there was a shocked silence”; “he gestured for silence”

hush, quieten, silence, still, shut up, hush up

(verb) cause to be quiet or not talk; “Please silence the children in the church!”

silence

(verb) keep from expression, for example by threats or pressure; “All dissenters were silenced when the dictator assumed power”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

silence (usually uncountable, plural silences)

The absence of any sound.

The act of refraining from speaking.

• D. Webster

Form of meditative worship practiced by the Society of Friends (Quakers); meeting for worship.

Synonyms

• quietness

Verb

silence (third-person singular simple present silences, present participle silencing, simple past and past participle silenced)

(transitive) To make (someone or something) silent.

(transitive) To repress the expression of something.

(transitive) To suppress criticism, etc.

(molecular biology) To block gene expression.

(euphemistic) murder

Interjection

silence

(imperative) Be silent.

Synonyms

• be quiet

• hush

• whist

Anagrams

• license, selenic

Source: Wiktionary

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Si"lence, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. silentium. See Silent.]

1. The state of being silent; entire absence of sound or noise; absolute stillness. I saw and heared; for such a numerous host Fled not in silence through the frighted deep. Milton.

2. Forbearance from, or absence of, speech; taciturnity; muteness.

3. Secrecy; as, these things were transacted in silence. The administration itself keeps a profound silence. D. Webster.

4. The cessation of rage, agitation, or tumilt; calmness; quiest; as, the elements were reduced to silence.

5. Absence of mention; oblivion. And what most merits fame, in silence hid. Milton.

Si"lence, interj.

Definition: Be silent; -- used elliptically for let there be silence, or keep silence. Shak.

Si"lence, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Silenced; p. pr. & vb. n. Silencing.]

1. To compel to silence; to cause to be still; to still; to hush. Silence that dreadful bell; it frights the isle. Shak.

2. To put to rest; to quiet. This would silence all further opposition. Clarendon. These would have silenced their scruples. Rogers.

3. To restrain from the exercise of any function, privilege of instruction, or the like, especially from the act of preaching; as, to silence a minister of the gospel. The Rev. Thomas Hooker of Chelmsford, in Essex, was silenced for nonconformity. B. Trumbull.

4. To cause to cease firing, as by a vigorous cannonade; as, to silence the batteries of an enemy.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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