Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Silent
Si′lent
,Adj.
[L.
silens
, -entis
, p. pr. of silere
to be silent; akin to Goth. ana-silan.] 1.
Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.
How
silent
is this town! Shakespeare
2.
Not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute; taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.
Ulysses, adds he, was the most eloquent and most
silent
of men. Broome.
This new-created world, whereof in hell
Fame is not
Fame is not
silent
. Milton.
3.
Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed;
as, the wind is
. silent
Parnell. Sir W. Raleigh.
4.
(Pron.)
Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent;
as, e is
silent
in “fable.”Si′lent
,Noun.
That which is silent; a time of silence.
[R.]
“The silent of the night.” Shak.
Webster 1828 Edition
Silent
SI'LENT
,Adj.
1.
Not speaking; mute. Ps. 22.2.
Habitually taciturn; speaking little; not inclined to much talking; not loquacious. Ulysses, he adds was the most eloquent and most silent of men.3.
Still; having not noise; as the silent watches of the night; the silent groves; all was silent.4.
Not operative; wanting efficacy.5.
Not mentioning; not proclaiming. This new created world, of which in hell Fame is not silent.6.
Calm; as, the winds were silent.7.
Not acting; not transacting business in person; as a silent partner in a commercial house.8.
Hot pronounced; having no sound; as, e is silent in fable.Definition 2024
silent
silent
See also: SILENT
English
Alternative forms
- scilent (hyper‐correct, obsolete)
Adjective
silent (comparative silenter or more silent, superlative silentest or most silent)
- Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.
- 1604, William Shakespeare, Othello, act 5, scene 1:
- How silent is this town!
- 1825, Samuel Johnson, Arthur Murphy, The Works of Samuel Johnson, Talboys and Wheeler, page 52:
- What was formerly performed by fleets and armies, by invasions, sieges, and battles, has been of late accomplished by more silent methods.
- 1906, William Dean Howells and Sidney Dillon Ripley, Certain Delightful English Towns: With Glimpses of the Pleasant Country Between, Harper & Brothers, page 152:
- The voice of the auctioneer is slow and low […] ; after a pause, which seems no silenter than the rest of the transaction, he ceases to repeat the bids, and his fish, in the measure of a bushel or so, have gone for a matter of three shillings.
- 1604, William Shakespeare, Othello, act 5, scene 1:
- Not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute; taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.
- Broome
- Ulysses, adds he, was the most eloquent and most silent of men.
- Milton
- This new-created world, whereof in **** / Fame is not silent.
- Broome
- Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed.
- The wind is silent.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Parnell to this entry?)
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir Walter Raleigh to this entry?)
- (pronunciation) Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent.
- The e is silent in fable.
- Having no effect; not operating; inefficient.
- Sir Walter Raleigh
- Cause […] silent, virtueless, and dead.
- Sir Walter Raleigh
- (technology) Without audio capability.
- The Magnavox Odyssey was a silent console.
- Hidden, unseen.
- a silent voter; a silent partner
- Not implying significant modifications which would affect a peptide sequence.
- Undiagnosed or undetected because of an absence of symptoms.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Terms derived from silent
Translations
free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet
|
|
not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute; taciturn
|
keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed
not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent
having no effect; not operating; inefficient
without audio capability
not implying significant modifications which would affect a peptide sequence
|
|
undiagnosed or undetected because of an absence of symptoms
|
|
Noun
silent (plural silents)
- (uncountable) That which is silent; a time of silence.
- The silent of the night. Shakespeare
- A silent movie
Translations
that which is silent
Statistics
Most common English words before 1923: difficult · top · tone · #803: silent · takes · honour · individual
Anagrams
French
Verb
silent