silent

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[edit] English

[edit] Alternative forms

  • scilent (hyper‐correct, obsolete)

[edit] Etymology

From Latin silēnt-, silēns (silent), present participle of sileō (be silent), from Proto-Indo-European *seil- (still, windless, quiet, slow). Cognate with Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌽 (anasilan, to cease, grow still, be silent), Old English sālnes (silence).

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Adjective

silent (comparative silenter or more silent, superlative silentest or most silent)

  1. Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.
    • 1604, William Shakespeare, Othello, act 5, sc. 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.
  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 silent. John Milton.
  3. Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed; as, the wind is silent. Parnell. Sir W. Raleigh.
  4. (pronunciation) Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent; as, "e is silent in fable."
  5. Having no effect; not operating; inefficient.
  6. (technology) Without audio capability.
    The Magnavox Odyssey was a silent console.
  7. Hidden, unseen, as a silent voter or silent partner.

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[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

[edit] Noun

silent (plural silents)

  1. (uncountable) That which is silent; a time of silence.
  2. A silent movie

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[edit] French

[edit] Verb

silent

  1. third-person plural present indicative of siler
  2. third-person plural present subjunctive of siler

[edit] Anagrams


[edit] Latin

[edit] Verb

silent

  1. third-person plural present active indicative of sileō
    1. "they are silent"
    2. "they keep silent about"
    3. "they are inactive; they cease"
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