sĭlentĭum (noun N) : sileo.
* Lit.
* In gen., a being still or silent, noiselessness, stillness, silence (freq. and class.; cf. taciturnitas): otium et silentium est, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 35: et ipse conticuit et ceteris silentium fuit,Cic. de Or. 3, 35, 143; cf. id. ib. 1, 35, 160; id. Rep. 2, 38, 64: auditus est magno silentio,id. Q. Fr. 2, 1, 1: silentio auditus,Caes. B. C. 3, 19, 3: huic facietis Fabulae silentium,Plaut. Am. prol. 15: fac silentium,id. Pers. 4, 3, 50; cf. Cic. Div. 1, 28, 59: nec longa silentia feci,kept silence,Ov. F. 1, 183: silentio facto, silence being obtained, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 9, 13, 10; Liv. 24, 7 fin.; Petr. 14 fin.; Quint. 2, 5, 6 al.; also with the signif. to make or procure silence: Fabius cum silentium classico fecisset,Liv. 2, 45; Tac. H. 3, 20; Curt. 10, 6, 3; Phaedr. 5, 5, 15: facere silentia majestate manūs,Pers. 4, 7: tribuni plebis, cum inviti silentium tenuissent,Liv. 5, 9, 4; so, tenere silentium,id. 1, 16, 2; 1, 28, 8; 9, 38, 14: silentium obtinere,id. 1, 16, 2; cf.: obstinatum silentium obtinuit,id. 9, 38, 14: tenuere silentia cuncti,Ov. M. 1, 206: se silentium fieri jussisse,Cic. Div. 1, 28, 59; Luc. 1, 298: silentium imperare,Sen. Vit. Beat. 26, 7; Tac. G. 11: silentium significare,to give a signal for silence,Cic. Brut. 84, 290: cum silentio animadvertite,Ter. Eun. prol. 44: Athenienses cum silentio auditi sunt,Liv. 38, 10, 4: cum silentio ad aliquem convenire,id. 7, 35, 1; so, cum silentio,id. 25, 9, 15: agere per silentium,Ter. Heaut. prol. 36; cf. id. Hec. prol. alt. 21; id. Phorm. prol. 30: per silentium noctis,Liv. 3, 42, 3; Tac. A. 4, 53; id. Agr. 3: ego illas omnes res egi silentio,Cic. Prov. Cons. 12, 29; cf.: ut nulla fere pars orationis silentio praeteriretur,in silence, without applause,id. Brut. 22, 88; more freq.: praeterire silentio,to pass over in silence, to say nothing about,id. Sull. 21, 62; id. Part. Or. 23, 82; id. Phil. 13, 6 Orell. N. cr.; Plin. Ep. 5, 20, 6; for which: silentio transire,Cic. Att. 2, 19, 3; Quint. 2, 3, 1; 5, 12, 23: periculosissimum locum silentio sum praetervectus,Cic. Phil. 7, 3, 8: transmittere aliquem,Tac. A. 1, 13 fin. al.; cf.: cum M. Tullius de omnibus (oratoribus) aetatis suae silentium egerit,keeps silence, is silent,Quint. 10, 1, 38: tenere se intra silentium,Plin. Ep. 4, 17, 8; 7, 6, 6: de Partho silentium est,nothing is said,Cic. Att. 5, 16, 4: ut laudem eorum a silentio vindicarem,i. e. obscurity,id. de Or. 2, 2, 7; Sen. Ep. 21, 5; Plin. Ep. 9, 14, 1: gravissimas plagas ferre silentio,Cic. Tusc. 2, 20, 46: quam maximum silentium haberi jubet,Sall. J. 99, 1: lacrimae omnibus obortae, et diu maestum silentium tenuit,prevailed,Liv. 40, 8, 20.—Poet.: fer opem furtoque silentia deme, remove silence from, i. e. tell of, disclose, Ov. M. 2, 700.—Of the stillness, silence, dead of night: silentio noctis Caesar ex castris egressus,Caes. B. G. 7, 36: in silentio noctis,id. ib. 7, 26; cf.: se vocem noctis silentio audisse clariorem humanā,Liv. 5, 32: paulo ante mediam noctem silentio ex oppido egressi,Caes. B. G. 7, 11; cf. id. ib. 7, 18; 7, 60; Liv. 8, 23, 9, 38.—Poet., in plur.: silentia noctis,Lucr. 4, 461; Stat. Th. 1, 441: quid me alta silentia cogis Rumpere,Verg. A. 10, 63; Ov. M. 7, 184: taciturna silentia,Lucr. 4, 585: torquent illum furibunda silentia,Stat. Th. 10, 890.—The stillness, quietness of the fields: nactus silentia ruris,Ov. M. 1, 232; cf.: vidit desolatas agere alta silentia terras,id. ib. 1, 349.—Of wood that makes no noise, does not snap, Plin. 16, 16, 28, § 70.
* Transf., a standstill (opp. to motion or activity); cessation, repose, inaction, tranquillity, etc. (rare but class.): mundus caeli vastus constitit silentio, Enn. ap. Macr. 6, 2 med.: silentium perpetuum judiciorum ac fori,Cic. Pis. 14, 32; cf. Tac. Agr. 39: vitam silentio transire,Sall. C. 1, 1: silentium otiumque inter armatos,Liv. 2, 45: biduum deinde silentium fuit neutris transgredientibus amnem, id. 37, 38: idem praeturae tenor et silentium,Tac. Agr. 6: quantum distant a morte silentia vitae?Sil. 3, 145.