English

Alternative forms

• keep one's peace

Verb

hold one's peace

1. (idiomatic) To refrain from speaking; to be silent.
   • c. 1595, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, act 5, sc. 2:

     Thurio: How likes she my discourse?

     Proteus: Ill, when you talk of war.

     Thurio: But well, when I discourse of love and peace?

     Julia: [Aside] But better, indeed, when you hold your peace.

   • 1611, Bible (KJV), Psalms 39:2:

     I was dumb with silence,

     I held my peace . . .

   • 1728, Jonathan Swift, "A Dialogue between Mad Mullinix and Timothy":

     Ne'er hold my peace, and ne'er stand still:

     I fart with twenty ladies by;

     They call me beast; and what care I?

   • 1860 Feb. 25, G. W. S., "Letter to Editor: Country Clergymen and Matrimony," New York Times (retrieved 3 Oct 2013):

     [U]nless he can give better arguments than he has given to show the truth of his observations, it would be well for him to hold his peace.

   • 1937 April 2, "The Presidency: Economic Dissertation," Time (retrieved 3 Oct 2013):

     Washington was still waiting last week for Franklin Roosevelt to say or do something about Sit-Down. . . . But if he held his peace on one topic, he spoke out boldly on another.

   • 2006 Oct. 25, "Farming supermarket 'victims' urged to speak out," The Scotsman (Scotland) (retrieved 3 Oct 2013):

     Supermarket suppliers with a grievance have been urged to speak up soon or forever hold their peace.

References

• hold one's peace at OneLook Dictionary Search