silence

Definitions

1. 1.Forbearance from, or absence of, speech; taciturnity; muteness.
2. 2.Secrecy; as, these things were transacted in silence. The administration itself keeps a profound silence. D. Webster.
3. 3.The cessation of rage, agitation, or tumilt; calmness; quiest; as, the elements were reduced to silence.
4. 4.Absence of mention; oblivion. And what most merits fame, in silence hid. Milton.
5. 5.Be silent; -- used elliptically for let there be silence, or keep silence. Shak.
6. 6.To compel to silence; to cause to be still; to still; to hush. Silence that dreadful bell; it frights the isle. Shak.
7. 7.To put to rest; to quiet. This would silence all further opposition. Clarendon. These would have silenced their scruples. Rogers.
8. 8.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.
9. 9.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 (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "silence" mean?
• What is another word for "silence"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is silence.

• What is forbearance from, or absence of, speech; taciturnity; muteness called?
• What is secrecy; as, these things were transacted in silence. The administration itself keeps a profound silence. D. Webster called?
• What is the cessation of rage, agitation, or tumilt; calmness; quiest; as, the elements were reduced to silence called?
• What is absence of mention; oblivion. And what most merits fame, in silence hid. Milton called?
• What is be silent; -- used elliptically for let there be silence, or keep silence. Shak called?
• What is to compel to silence; to cause to be still; to still; to hush. Silence that dreadful bell; it frights the isle. Shak called?
• What is to put to rest; to quiet. This would silence all further opposition. Clarendon. These would have silenced their scruples. Rogers called?
• What is to cause to cease firing, as by a vigorous cannonade; as, to silence the batteries of an enemy called?