Search the Dictionary

Fig.: Whatever produces the effect of moving and persuasive speech. Silence that spoke and eloquence of eyes. Pope. The hearts of men are their books; events are their tutors; great actions are their eloquence. Macaulay.

Disposed or apt to take exceptions, or to object; captious. [Obs.] At least effectually silence the doubtful and exceptious. South. -- Ex*cep"tious*ness, n. [Obs.] Barrow.

To strike down or lay level with the floor; to knock down; hence, to silence by a conclusive answer or retort; as, to floor an opponent. Floored or crushed by him. Coleridge.

ing displeasure or disapproval; to rebuke with a look; as, frown the impudent fellow into silence.

To stop the mouth of, by thrusting sometimes in, so as to hinder speaking; hence, to silence by authority or by violence; not to allow freedom of speech to. Marvell. The time was not yet come when eloquence was to be gagged, and reason to be hood winked. Maccaulay.

To meet and give salutations. There greet in silence, as the dead are wont, And sleep in peace. Shak.

guerdon to; to reward; to be a recompense for. [R.] Him we gave a costly bribe To guerdon silence. Tennyson.

Hush; be silent; -- a signal for silence. Milton.

holds his own when he does not lose strength or weight. -- To hold one's peace, to keep silence.- To hold out. (a) To extend; to offer. "Fortune holds out these to you as rewards." B. Jonson. (b) To continue to do or to suffer; to endure. "He can not long hold out these pangs." Shak. -- To hold up. (a) To raise; to…

To still; to silence; to calm; to make quiet; to repress the noise or clamor of. My tongue shall hush again this storm of war. Shak.

the power of self-restraint; incontrolled; ungovernable; violent. Impotent of tongue, her silence broke. Dryden.

sequence, conclusion, or probability; to imply; as, I inferred his determination from his silence. To infer is nothing but by virtue of one proposition laid down as true, to draw in another as true. Locke. Such opportunities always infer obligations. Atterbury.

into an organized body; especially, the rite of admission into a secret society or order. Silence is the first thing that is taught us at our initiation into sacred mysteries. Broome.

e or quality of being morally free from guilt or sin; purity of heart; blamelessness. The silence often of pure innocence Persuades when speaking fails. Shak. Banished from man's life his happiest life, Simplicity and spotless innocence! Milton.

Wanting sensibility; destitute of sense; stupid; foolish. The silence and the calm Of mute, insensate things. Wordsworth. The meddling folly or insensate ambition of statesmen. Buckle. -- In*sen"sate*ly, adv. -- In*sen"sate*ness, n.

racteristic phenomena, as colored fringes, dark bands, or darkness, in the case of light, silence or increased intensity in sounds; neutralization or superposition of waves generally.

rse or mode of action; not to intermit or fall from; to hold to; to maintain; as, to keep silence; to keep one's word; to keep possession. Both day and night did we keep company. Shak. Within this portal as I kept my watch. Smollett.

Favorable; mild; gentle; auspicious; beneficent. In soft silence shed the kindly shower. Pope. Should e'er a kindlier time ensue. Wordsworth.

Unwillingness; reluctance. A general silence and loathness to speak. Bacon.

hunger; a repast; the acas, the traveler has not eaten a good meal for a week; there was silence during the meal. What strange fish Hath made his meal on thee Shak.