Silent

a. [Lat. silens, silentis, p. pr. of silere, to be silent, O. Fr. silent, O. It. silente.]

1Sense 1. Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.

How silent is this town! Shak.

2Sense 2. Indisposed to talk; speechless; mute; habitually taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.

Ulysses, he adds, was the most eloquent and the most silent of men. Broome.

This new-created world, of which in hell Fame is not silent. Milton.

3Sense 3. Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed; as, the wind is silent. Parnell. Raleigh.

4Sense 4. (Pron.) Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent; as, e is silent in “fable.”

5Sense 5. Having no effect; not operating; inefficient. [Rare.] “Causes . . . silent, virtueless, and dead.” Raleigh.

6Sense 6. Not engaged in active business, or not so engaged; dormant; as, a silent partner in a commercial house.

Synonyms—Mute; taciturn; dumb; speechless; quiet; still. See MUTE and TACITURN.

n. That which is silent; a time of silence. [Rare.] “The silent of the night.” Shak.