Silence

Si´lence

n.	1.
	1.	The state of being silent; entire absence of sound or noise; absolute stillness. I saw and heared; for such a numerous host Fled not in silence through the frighted deep. - Milton.
	2.	Forbearance from, or absence of, speech; taciturnity; muteness.
	3.	Secrecy; as, these things were transacted in silence. The administration itself keeps a profound silence. - D. Webster.
	4.	The cessation of rage, agitation, or tumilt; calmness; quiest; as, the elements were reduced to silence.
	5.	Absence of mention; oblivion. And what most merits fame, in silence hid. - Milton.
interj.	1.	Be silent; - used elliptically for let there be silence, or keep silence.
v. t.	1.	To compel to silence; to cause to be still; to still; to hush. [imp. & p. p. Silenced ; p. pr. & vb. n. Silencing .] Silence that dreadful bell; it frights the isle. - Shak.
	2.	To put to rest; to quiet. This would silence all further opposition. - Clarendon. These would have silenced their scruples. - Rogers.
	3.	To restrain from the exercise of any function, privilege of instruction, or the like, especially from the act of preaching; as, to silence a minister of the gospel. The Rev. Thomas Hooker of Chelmsford, in Essex, was silenced for nonconformity. - B. Trumbull.
	4.	To cause to cease firing, as by a vigorous cannonade; as, to silence the batteries of an enemy.

Noun	1.	silence - the state of being silent (as when no one is speaking); "there was a shocked silence"; "he gestured for silence"
	2.	silence - the absence of sound; "he needed silence in order to sleep"; "the street was quiet" Synonyms: quiet Antonyms: sound - the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause; "the sound of rain on the roof"; "the beautiful sound of music"
	3.	silence - a refusal to speak when expected; "his silence about my contribution was surprising" Synonyms: muteness
	4.	silence - the trait of keeping things secret Synonyms: secrecy, secretiveness
Verb	1.	silence - cause to be quiet or not talk; "Please silence the children in the church!" Synonyms: hush, hush up, still, quieten, shut up
	2.	silence - keep from expression, for example by threats or pressure; "All dissenters were silenced when the dictator assumed power"

SILENCE. The state of a person who does not speak, or of one who refrains from speaking.
     2. Pure and simple silence cannot be considered as a consent to a contract, except in cases when the silent person is bound in good faith to explain himself, in which case, silence gives consent. 6 Toull. liv. 3, t. 3, n. 32, note; 14 Serg. & Rawle, 393; 2 Supp. to Ves. jr. 442; 1 Dane's Ab. c. 1, art. 4, Sec. 3; 8 T. R. 483; 6 Penn. St. R. 336; 1 Greenl. Ev. 201; 2 Bouv. Inst. n. 1313. But no assent will be inferred from a man's silence, unless, 1st. He knows his rights and knows what he is doing and, 2d. His silence is voluntary.
     3. When any person is accused of a crime, or charged with any fact, and he does not deny it, in general, the presumption is very strong that the charge is correct. 7 C. & P. 832 5 C. & P. 332; Joy on Conf. s. 10, p. 77.
     4. The rule does not extend to the silence of a prisoner, when on his examination before a magistrate he is charged by another prisoner with having joined him in the commission of an offence: 3 Stark. C. 33.
     5. When an oath is administered to a witness, instead of expressly promising to keep it, he gives his assent by his silence, and kissing the book.
     6. The person to be affected by the silence must be one not disqualified to act as non compos, an infant, or the like, for even the express promise of such a person would not bind him to the performance of any contract.
     7. The rule of the civil law is that silence is not an acknowledgment or denial in every case, qui tacet, non utique fatetur: sed tamen verum est, eum non negaro. Dig. 50, 17, 142.

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