Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SIGN-POST, n. [sign and post.]

A post on which a sign hangs, or on which papers are placed to give public notice of any thing. By the laws of some of the New England States, a sign-post is to be erected near the center of each town.

SIK, or SIKE, a.

Such. [Obs.] – Spenser.

SIK'ER, a. [or adv.]

Sure; surely. [Obs.] [See Sicker.]

SIK'ER-NESS, n.

Sureness; safety. [Obs.] Chaucer.

SILE, v.t.

To strain, as fresh milk from the cow. [Local.]

SIL-ED, pp.

Strained.

SI'LENCE, n. [Fr. from L. silentium; from sileo, to be still; It. silenzio; Sp. silencio. The sense is to stop or hold; but this may proceed from setting, throwing down. See Sill.]

1. In a general sense, stillness, or entire absence of sound or noise; as, the silence of midnight.
2. In animals, the state of holding the peace; forbearance of speech in man, or of noise in other animals. I was dumb with silence; I held my peace, even from good. – Ps. xxxix.
3. Habitual taciturnity; opposed to loquacity. – Shak.
4. Secrecy. These things were transacted in silence.
5. Stillness; calmness; quiet; cessation of rage, agitation or tumult; as, the elements reduced to silence.
6. Absence of mention; oblivion. Eternal silence be their doom. – Milton. And what most merits fame, in silence hid. – Milton.
7. Silence, is used elliptically for let there be silence, an injunction to keep silence.

SILENCE, v.t.

1. To oblige to hold the peace; to restrain from noise or speaking.
2. To still; to quiet; to restrain; to appease. This would silence all further opposition. – Clarendon. These would have silenced their scruples. – Rogers.
3. To stop; as, to silence complaints or clamor.
4. To still; to cause to cease firing; as, to silence guns or a battery.
5. To restrain from preaching by revoking a license to preach; as, to silence a minister of the Gospel. – United States. The Rev. Thomas Booker, of Chelmsford in Essex, was silenced for non-conformity. – B. Trumbull.
6. To put an end to; to cause to cease. The question between agriculture and commerce has received a decision which has silenced the rivalships between them. – Hamilton.

SI'LENC-ED, pp.

Stilled; hushed.

SI'LENC-ING, ppr.

Stilling.

SI'LENT, a.

1. Not speaking; mute. – Ps. xxii.
2. Habitually taciturn; speaking little; not inclined to much talking; not loquacious. Ulysses, he adds, was the most eloquent and the most silent of men. – Broome.
3. Still; having no noise; as, the silent watches of the night; the silent groves; all was silent.
4. Not operative; wanting efficacy. – Ralegh.
5. Not mentioning; not proclaiming. This new created world, of which in hell / Fame is not silent. – Milton.
6. Calm; as, the winds were silent. – Parnell.
7. Not acting; not transacting business in person; as, a silent partner in a commercial house.
8. Not pronounced; having no sound; as, e is silent in fable.

SI-LEN'TIA-RY, n.

One appointed to keep silence and order in court; one sworn not to divulge secrets of state. – Barrow.

SI'LENT-LY, adv.

1. Without speech or words. Each silently / Demands thy grace, and seems to watch thy eye. – Dryden.
2. Without noise; as, to march silently.
3. Without mention. He mentioned other difficulties, but this he silently passed over. – Locke.

SI'LENT-NESS, n.

State of being silent; stillness; silence. – Ash.

SI-LE-SIA, n. [sile'zha.]

A duchy or country now chiefly belonging to Prussia; hence, a species of linen cloths, so called; thin coarse linen.

SI-LE-SIAN, a. [sile'zhan.]

Pertaining to Silesia; made in Silesia; as, Silesian linen.

SI'LEX, n. [L. silex, flint.]

Silicic acid, generally impure, as it is found in nature, constituting flint, quartz and most sands, and sandstones. [See Silica, and Silicic acid.]

SIL'ICA, n. [L. silex, a flint.]

One of the names of silicic acid in a state of purity. It is considered to be one of the primitive earths. [See Silicic acid.]

SIL'I-CATE, n.

A salt composed of silicic acid and a base.

SI-LIC'IC-AC'ID, n. [SI-LIC'IC AC'ID.]

An acid, according to Thomson, composed of one equivalent of silicum, silicium or silicon, and one of oxygen, or according to Berzelius, one of silicum, silicium or silicon, and three of oxygen. When pure it is a light white powder, which feels rough when rubbed between the fingers. It is both inodorous and insipid. It combines with bases, forming salts, which are called silicates.

SI-LIC-I-CAL-CA'RI-OUS, a. [silex and calcarious.]

Consisting of silex and calcarious matter.

SI-LIC-I-CAL'CE, n. [L. silex or silica and calx.]

A mineral of the silicious kind, occurring in amorphous masses; its color is gray or brown. – Cleaveland.

SIL-I-CIF'ER-OUS, a. [L. silex and fero, to produce.]

Producing silex; or united with a portion of silex.

SIL-IC'I-FI-CA'TION, n.

Petrifaction by flint or silex. – Mantell.

SI-LIC'I-FI-ED, pp.

Petrified by flint.