- silence
- I UK [ˈsaɪləns] / US
noun
Word forms "silence":
singular silence plural silences
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1)a) [uncountable] complete quietThe owl's cry cut through the silence in the forest.
The silence was broken by the soft sound of rain.
When I answered the phone there was dead silence (= no sound at all).
b) [countable/uncountable] a period of time when no one speaksLong silences make her uncomfortable.
a moment of silence:We stared at each other in stunned silence.
in silence:We begin our service with a moment of silence.
They drove home in silence.
2) [singular/uncountable] the refusal to talk about something or to provide informationsilence on:She maintained an angry silence.
Her silence on the subject has been interpreted as a sign of guilt.
3) [singular/uncountable] a complete lack of communication with someone by letter, telephone, or other meansA letter finally arrived from Lee, ending his long silence.
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II UK [ˈsaɪləns] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "silence":
present tense I/you/we/they silence he/she/it silences present participle silencing past tense silenced past participle silenced
*
1) to stop someone or something from speaking or making a soundHe silenced her with an angry look.
After about twenty minutes, someone managed to silence the alarm.
They were completely silenced by the news.
2) to prevent someone from giving an opinion or from criticizing youEfforts to silence opposition have so far been unsuccessful.
3) very informal to kill someone so that they cannot give information to an enemy or someone in authority
English dictionary. 2014.
