silent definition - Dictionary

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silent

si·lent [ slənt ]

adjective

Definition:

1. utterly quiet: lacking any noise or sound

a silent country lane

2. not speaking: not speaking or communicating at a particular time, especially through choice

The children all remained silent.

3. saying little: not inclined to say much

the strong silent type

4. unspoken: communicated without words or sound

a silent warning

rolled her eyes in silent disbelief

5. inactive: currently inactive or not operating

a silent volcano

6. not pronounced: describes a letter that appears in a word but is not pronounced, e.g. the "k" in "knight" or the "b" in "debt"

7. movies without soundtrack: describes movies made without sound, especially those made before 1927

8. religion not allowed to speak: not allowed to speak because of a religious vow of silence

a silent order of monks

noun (plural si·lents)

Definition:

movies silent movie: a motion picture made without sound

[15th century. < Latin silent-, present participle of silere "be silent"]

si·lent·ly adverb

si·lent·ness noun

Cultural Note


	Silent Spring, (1962) by Rachel Carson. In passionate prose it presented to a popular audience evidence that the indiscriminate use of pesticides like DDT was killing wildlife. It foresaw an eerie future: "A spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of scores of bird voices there was now no sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh." Silent Spring was fiercely attacked by the chemical industry, but its findings were endorsed by a Presidential Commission, and its publication is credited with launching the environmental movement in the United States.

Word Key: Synonyms


	silent, quiet, reticent, taciturn, uncommunicative CORE MEANING: not speaking or not saying much silent not speaking or communicating at a specific time, especially through choice, or not inclined to speak much; Both girls fell silent for a moment. He's a rather silent type where women are concerned. quiet displaying calmness and self-control and not inclined to speak much, or not speaking or communicating at a specific time; Jed, who was coming up to five years old, was very bright, but very quiet. Keep quiet and sit still for a minute, please! reticent unwilling to communicate very much, talk freely, or reveal all the facts about something; On Tuesday, the usually reticent athlete even ventured some fighting talk. The boss of the lucrative cosmetics empire had been reticent in the past when it came to revealing details of his bank account. taciturn habitually uncommunicative or reserved in speech and manner; Both men were taciturn and found it difficult to put ideas into words. The team's coach, never particularly talkative, has been even more taciturn than usual. uncommunicative not willing to say much, especially not to reveal information, or tending not to say much; Fred was somewhat reserved and uncommunicative concerning his recent experiences. Luke stopped trying to salvage the relationship, becoming increasingly uncommunicative.