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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Silence \Si"lence\, interj. Be silent; -- used elliptically for let there be silence, or keep silence. --Shak.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Silence \Si"lence\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Silenced}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Silencing}.]
1. To compel to silence; to cause to be still; to still; to hush.
Silence that dreadful bell; it frights the isle. --Shak.
2. To put to rest; to quiet.
This would silence all further opposition. --Clarendon.
These would have silenced their scruples. --Rogers.
3. To restrain from the exercise of any function, privilege of instruction, or the like, especially from the act of preaching; as, to silence a minister of the gospel.
The Rev. Thomas Hooker of Chelmsford, in Essex, was silenced for nonconformity. --B. Trumbull.
4. To cause to cease firing, as by a vigorous cannonade; as, to silence the batteries of an enemy.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Silence \Si"lence\, noun [F., fr. L. silentium. See {Silent}.]
1. The state of being silent; entire absence of sound or noise; absolute stillness.
I saw and heared; for such a numerous host Fled not in silence through the frighted deep. --Milton.
2. Forbearance from, or absence of, speech; taciturnity; muteness.
3. Secrecy; as, these things were transacted in silence.
The administration itself keeps a profound silence. --D. Webster.
4. The cessation of rage, agitation, or tumilt; calmness; quiest; as, the elements were reduced to silence.
5. Absence of mention; oblivion.
And what most merits fame, in silence hid. --Milton.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
silence
noun
1: the state of being silent (as when no one is speaking); "there was a shocked silence"; "he gestured for silence"
2: the absence of sound; "he needed silence in order to sleep"; "the street was quiet" [syn: {quiet}] [ant: {sound}]
3: a refusal to speak when expected; "his silence about my contribution was surprising" [syn: {muteness}]
4: the trait of keeping things secret [syn: {secrecy}, {secretiveness}]
verb
1: cause to be quiet or not talk; "Please silence the children in the church!" [syn: {hush}, {quieten}, {still}, {shut up}, {hush up}] [ant: {louden}]
2: keep from expression, for example by threats or pressure; "All dissenters were silenced when the dictator assumed power"
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
218 Moby Thesaurus words for "silence": answer, answer conclusively, argue down, asphyxiate, ataraxia, ataraxy, blow to pieces, blow up, blunt, bottle up, brain, brevity, briefness, bring down, brusqueness, burn to death, calm, calmness, censor, choke, choke off, clamp down on, composure, conciseness, confound, confute, contemplation, contradict, controvert, cork, cork up, crack down on, crush, curtains, curtness, cut down, cut to pieces, damp, damp down, dampen, deaden, deal a deathblow, decease, deck, defeat, deflate, demise, demolish, deny, disarm, disintegrate, dismiss, dispose of, dissolution, drop, drown, dumb, dumbfound, dumbness, economy of words, emasculate, enchain, extinguish, fell, finish, floor, frag, gag, give the quietus, gun down, hamstring, handcuff, hobble, hog-tie, hold down, hugger-mugger, hugger-muggery, hush, hush-hush, imperturbability, incinerate, inhibit, jugulate, jump on, keep down, keep under, kill, knock out, laconicalness, laconism, lapidate, lay low, lucid stillness, lull, manacle, marmoreal repose, mitigate, mollify, muffle, mute, muteness, muzzle, nirvana, noiselessness, nonplus, obmutescence, overcome, overmaster, overmatch, overpower, overset, overthrow, overturn, overwhelm, pacify, paralyze, parry, passing, pauciloquy, peace, peacefulness, pistol, placidity, placidness, poleax, pour water on, propitiate, prostrate, put down, put out, put to silence, quash, quell, quench, quiescence, quiescency, quiet, quieten, quietism, quietness, quietude, quietus, rebut, reduce to silence, refute, repose, repress, rest, restfulness, restrain, reticence, riddle, satori, secretiveness, secretness, send flying, serenity, settle, shoot, shoot down, shoot to death, shortness, shotgun, shush, shut down on, shut off, shut up, silken repose, sit down on, sit on, sleep, slumber, smash, smash all opposition, smother, snuff out, soft-pedal, soothe, soundlessness, sparingness of words, speechlessness, squash, squelch, stab to death, stamp out, stanch, stifle, still, stillness, stone, stone to death, strangle, strike dead, strike dumb, stultify, subdue, subvert, suffocate, suppress, surmount, taciturnity, temper, terseness, throttle, trample out, trample underfoot, tranquillity, trip, trip up, truss up, uncommunicativeness, undermine, unloquaciousness, untalkativeness, upset, vaporize, wise passiveness, wordlessness
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