silence: Meaning and Definition of

si•lence

Pronunciation: (sī'luns), [key]
— n., v., interj. -lenced, -lenc•ing,
—n.
  1. absence of any sound or noise; stillness.
  2. the state or fact of being silent; muteness.
  3. absence or omission of mention, comment, or expressed concern: the conspicuous silence of our newspapers on local graft.
  4. the state of being forgotten; oblivion: in the news again after years of silence.
  5. concealment; secrecy.
—v.t.
  1. to put or bring to silence; still.
  2. to put (doubts, fears, etc.) to rest; quiet.
  3. to still (enemy guns), as by more effective fire.
—interj.
  1. be silent! “Silence!” the teacher shouted.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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