Dictionary
qui•e•tus
Pronunciation: (kwī-ē'tus), [key]—
n.,
—pl. -tus•es.
1. a finishing stroke; anything that effectually ends or settles:
Having given a quietus to the argument, she left.
2. discharge or release from life.
3. a period of retirement or inactivity.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.