1. The condition or quality of being or keeping still and silent. 2. The absence of sound; stillness. 3. A period of time without speech or noise. 4. Refusal or failure to speak out.
TRANSITIVE VERB:
Inflected forms: si·lenced, si·lenc·ing, si·lenc·es 1. To make silent or bring to silence: silenced the crowd with a gesture.2. To curtail the expression of; suppress: silencing all criticism; silenced their opponents.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English, from Old French, from Latin silentium, from silns, silent-, present participle of silre, to be silent.
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ns, silent-, present participle of sil
