silent
    adj 1: marked by absence of sound; "a silent house"; "soundless
           footsteps on the grass"; "the night was still" [syn:
           silent, soundless, still]
    2: failing to speak or communicate etc when expected to; "the
       witness remained silent" [syn: mum, silent]
    3: implied by or inferred from actions or statements; "gave
       silent consent"; "a tacit agreement"; "the understood
       provisos of a custody agreement" [syn: silent, tacit,
       understood]
    4: not made to sound; "the silent `h' at the beginning of
       `honor'"; "in French certain letters are often unsounded"
       [syn: silent, unsounded]
    5: having a frequency below or above the range of human
       audibility; "a silent dog whistle"
    6: unable to speak because of hereditary deafness [syn: dumb,
       mute, silent]

Silent \Si"lent\, n.
   That which is silent; a time of silence. [R.] "The silent of
   the night." --Shak.
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Silent \Si"lent\, a. [L. silens, -entis, p. pr. of silere to be
   silent; akin to Goth. ana-silan.]
   1. Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly
      quiet.
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            How silent is this town!              --Shak.
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   2. Not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute;
      taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.
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            Ulysses, adds he, was the most eloquent and most
            silent of men.                        --Broome.
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            This new-created world, whereof in hell
            Fame is not silent.                   --Milton.
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   3. Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed; as, the wind
      is silent. --Parnell. Sir W. Raleigh.
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   4. (Pron.) Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent; as, e
      is silent in "fable."
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   5. Having no effect; not operating; inefficient. [R.]
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            Cause . . . silent, virtueless, and dead. --Sir W.
                                                  Raleigh.
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   Silent partner. See Dormant partner, under Dormant.
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   Syn: Mute; taciturn; dumb; speechless; quiet; still. See
        Mute, and Taciturn.
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