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Webster 1913 Edition

Peace

Peace

,
Noun.
[OE.
pees
,
pais
, OF. pais, paiz, pes, F.
paix
, L.
pax
,
pacis
, akin to
pacere
,
paciscere
,
pacisci
, to make an agreement, and prob. also
pangere
to fasten. Cf.
Appease
,
Fair
,
Adj.
,
Fay
,
Verb.
,
Fang
,
Pacify
,
Pact
,
Pay
to requite.]
A state of quiet or tranquillity; freedom from disturbance or agitation; calm; repose
; specifically:
(a)
Exemption from, or cessation of, war with public enemies.
(b)
Public quiet, order, and contentment in obedience to law.
(c)
Exemption from, or subjection of, agitating passions; tranquillity of mind or conscience.
(d)
Reconciliation; agreement after variance; harmony; concord.
“The eternal love and pees.”
Chaucer.
☞ Peace is sometimes used as an exclamation in commanding silence, quiet, or order. “Peace! foolish woman.”
Shak.
At peace
,
in a state of peace.
–
Breach of the peace
.
See under
Breach
.
–
Justice of the peace
.
See under
Justice
.
–
Peace of God
.
(Law)
(a)
A term used in wills, indictments, etc., as denoting a state of peace and good conduct.
(b)
(Theol.)
The peace of heart which is the gift of God.
–
Peace offering
.
(a)
(Jewish Antiq.)
A voluntary offering to God in token of devout homage and of a sense of friendly communion with Him
.
(b)
A gift or service offered as satisfaction to an offended person.
–
Peace officer
,
a civil officer whose duty it is to preserve the public peace, to prevent riots, etc., as a polliceman, sheriff or constable.
–
To hold one’s peace
,
to be silent; to refrain from speaking.
–
To make one's peace with
,
to reconcile one with, to plead one's cause with, or to become reconciled with, another.
“I will make your peace with him.”
Shak.

Peace

,
Verb.
T.
&
I.
To make or become quiet; to be silent; to stop.
[R.]
“Peace your tattlings.”
Shak.
When the thunder would not
peace
at my bidding.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition

Peace

PEACE

,
Noun.
[L. pax, paco, to appease.]
1.
In a general sense, a state of quiet or tranquillity; freedom from disturbance or agitation; applicable to society, to individuals, or to the temper of the mind.
2.
Freedom from war with a foreign nation; public quiet.
3.
Freedom from internal commotion or civil war.
4.
Freedom from private quarrels, suits or disturbance.
5.
Freedom from agitation or disturbance by the passions, as from fear, terror, anger, anxiety or the like; quietness of mind; tranquillity; calmness; quiet of conscience.
Great peace have they that love the law. Ps.119.
6.
Heavenly rest; the happiness of heaven.
7.
Harmony; concord; a state of reconciliation between parties at variance.
8.
Public tranquillity; that quiet,order and security which is guaranteed by the laws; as, to keep the peace; to break the peace.
This word is used in commanding silence or quiet; as, peace to this troubled soul.
Peace, the lovers are asleep.
To be at peace, to be reconciled; to live in harmony.
To make peace, to reconcile, as parties at variance.
To hold the peace, to be silent; to suppress one's thoughts; not to speak.

Definition 2024

peace

peace

English

Noun

peace ‎(usually uncountable, plural peaces)

  1. A state of tranquility, quiet, and harmony; absence of violence. For instance, a state free from civil disturbance.
    • 2001, Carol Stream, Unshaken
      Naomi boasted in nothing but the God of Israel. And she found peace even in the midst of chaos when she went to Him in prayer.
    Our lounge strives to maintain an environment of peace for the comfort of our customers.‎
  2. A state free of oppressive and unpleasant thoughts and emotions.
    The safety equipment will give me some peace of mind.‎
  3. Harmony in personal relations.
  4. A state free of war, in particular war between different countries.
    • 1969 March 31, John Lennon, Bagism Press Conference at Sacher Hotel, Vienna
      Now, a lot of cynics have said, “Oh, it’s easy to sit in bed for seven days,” but I’d like some of them to try it, and talk for seven days about peace. All we’re saying is give peace a chance.
    • 2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
      Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. […] One thing that is true, though, is that murder rates have fallen over the centuries, as policing has spread and the routine carrying of weapons has diminished. Modern society may not have done anything about war. But peace is a lot more peaceful.
    My boy, this peace is what all true warriors strive for.‎

Synonyms

  • (religious, Heathenry): frith
  • See also Wikisaurus:calm

Antonyms

Derived terms

Look at pages starting with peace.

Related terms

Translations

Interjection

peace

  1. (archaic) Shut up!, silence!; be quiet, be silent.
    • Mark Twain
      "Peace, my lord, thou utterest treason! Hast forgot the king's command? Remember I am party to thy crime, if I but listen."
  2. (slang) Shortened form of peace out; goodbye.

Verb

peace ‎(third-person singular simple present peaces, present participle peacing, simple past and past participle peaced)

  1. (neologism) To make peace; to put at peace; to be at peace.
    • 1997, Yusuf Jah, Shah'Keyah Jah, Uprising, page 49:
      Within every hood they have to be peacing with themselves. Then when you're living in peace with yourself, [...]
    • 2006, Wayne Grady, Bringing back the dodo: lessons in natural and unnatural history:
      In another northern species, ptarmigan, such a see-saw pattern between warring and peacing has indeed been observed by researchers.
  2. (slang) To peace out.
    • 2012, Jens Lapidus, Easy Money:
      ****, man. Yeah, I know. He crashed with this guy, Eddie. Then the cops called me in. That's when he peaced. I swear on my father's grave, I don't know where he went. I swear.

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: army · horse · send · #568: peace · glad · hair · ran

Wikiversity

  • peace in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • peace in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Etymology

From Middle English pece, peas, pees, from Old French pais ‎(“peace”), from Latin pāx ‎(“peace”), from Proto-Indo-European *paḱ- ‎(“to fasten, stick, place”), related to Latin pacīscor ‎(“agree, stipulate”), Latin pangō ‎(“fasten, fix”); see pact. Displaced native Middle English frith, frede ‎(“peace”) (from Old English friþ, frēod ‎(“peace”)), Middle English sib, sibbe ‎(“peace”) (from Old English sibb ‎(“peace, kinship”)), Middle English grith ‎(“peace, security”) (from Old English griþ and Old Norse grið), Middle English saht, saught ‎(“peace, reconciliation”) (from Old English seht, sæht ‎(“peace, pact, agreement”)).

Pronunciation

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