silent

silent
adjective
1 NOT SPEAKING
a) not saying anything: Phil was silent for a moment as he thought about his reply. | fall silent (=become quiet): The crowd fell silent when the President appeared.
b) not talking much to other people: Nate was in his late teens, a silent and self-contained boy. | the strong silent type (=a man who looks strong and does not talk very much)
2 NOT COMMUNICATING failing or refusing to talk about something or express an opinion
(+ on/about): The company is suspiciously silent about its plans for cutting costs. | remain silent: The prisoner remained silent when questioned.
3 QUIET without any sound, or not making any sound: In the early morning the village was completely silent. | At last the guns were silent.
4 FILMS a silent film is a cinema film with no sound, of the type made before about 1927: silent movies
5 LETTER a silent letter in a word is not pronounced and does not have a sound: The `w' in `wreck' is silent.
6 silent as the grave completely silent, often in a way that seems mysterious
— silently adverb

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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  • silent — si·lent adj 1: making no utterance: resolved not to speak esp. about a certain topic the right to remain silent 2: making no mention or account: omitting explanation and leaving questions unanswered a criminal statute silent as to the requirement …   Law dictionary

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  • Silent — Si lent, n. That which is silent; a time of silence. [R.] The silent of the night. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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