English
rank|difficult|top|tone|803|silent|takes|honour|individual
Etymology
Latin silens, -entis, p. pr. of silere to be silent; akin to Gothic ana-silan.
Pronunciation
IPA|/�saɪl�nt/, SAMPA|/"saIl@nt/
audio|en-us-silent.ogg|Audio (US)
Adjective
en-adj|er|more
- Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.
#*Shakespeare:
#*: 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.
- 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 silent. Milton.
- Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed; as, the wind is silent. Parnell. Sir W. Raleigh.
- (Pronunciation) Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent; as, "e is silent in fable."
- Having no effect; not operate|operating; inefficient.
#:*Cause ... silent, virtueless, and dead. Raleigh|Sir W. Raleigh.
- technology Without audio capability.
#:*The Magnavox Odyssey was a silent console.
Silent partner. See Dormant partner, under Dormant.
Synonyms
mute
taciturn
dumb
speechless
quiet
still
Translations
Greek: �ι��ηλ��
Finnish: hiljainen (1-2)
mid
Portuguese: silencioso, mudo
Spanish: silencioso, callado
Noun
en-noun|-
- That which is silent; a time of silence.
#:* The silent of the night. Shakespeare
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