▪ I. whisht, n.
(hwɪʃt)
Also 9 Sc. wheesht, wheisht.
[f. whisht int.]
1. An utterance of ‘whisht!’ to enjoin silence: cf. whist n.2 1.
| 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. 106 A Whisht is when we bid them holde their peace that haue least cause to speake. 1908 S. Weyman Wild Geese viii, What do you mean with your ‘whishts’ and your nods? |
2. Silence; in phr. to hold one's whisht, to keep silence. Sc.
| 1785 Burns Vision i. 43, I held my whisht; The infant aith, half-form'd, was crusht. 1824 Mactaggart Gallovid. Encycl. s.v. Wheesht, Haud your wheesht, be silent. 1895 Crockett Men of Moss-Hags xxxv, You ken naught about it. You had better hold your wheesht. |
3. A whisper; with negative = ‘not a whisper’, not the least utterance. Sc.
| a 1774 Fergusson Ecl. Poet. Wks. (1800) 89 Be you as calm's a mouse, Nor let your whisht be heard. 1881 Walford Dick Netherby v, There is na a wheesht against him. |
▪ II. whisht, a.1 Now dial.
(hwɪʃt)
Also 6 whysht(e, 9 Sc. wheesht.
[A variant of whist a.1; cf. whisht int.]
Silent, quiet, still, hushed.
| 1570 T. Wilson Demosth. Orat., Life 117 He desired..to tell them a merie tale. Where vpon when euery man was whisht and still, he sayde thus. 1615 Brightman Rev. 143 Reprehensions are whisht, wickednes raigneth. 1802 R. Anderson Cumbld. Ball. (1805) 5 As whisht as a mouse. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xv, Nights..when he was here on sentry, the place a' wheesht. |
Hence ˈwhishtly adv., silently, quietly.
| 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. John xvi. 23–28, I shall than speake vnto you whishtlye and without woordes. |
▪ III. whisht, a.2
(dial.): see wisht.
▪ IV. whisht, v. Now dial.
Also 9 Sc. wheesht.
[f. whisht int. Cf. whish v.2, whist v.1]
1. intr. To be silent, keep silence.
| 1815 Scott Guy M. xlviii, Wasp—Wasp, whisht, hinny..and let's hear what they're doing.—Deil's in ye, will ye whisht? 1894 ‘J. S. Winter’ Red Coats 50 ‘Whisht, woman, whisht,’ interposed Trueman..‘No, I just won't whisht, William Trueman.’ |
2. trans. To put to silence, silence, hush.
| 1804 R. Couper Poetry II. 11 (Eng. Dial. Dict.) A weel-claw'd luif whishts the harangue. 1897 C. M. Campbell Deilie Jock iv, Wheesht your gab. |
▪ V. whisht, int. Now dial.
(hwɪʃt)
Also 5 whischt, 7–9 wheesht.
[A natural utterance, nearly identical with the 16th c. huissht (see husht int.1), and with whist int.1]
An exclamation enjoining silence: Hush!
| 14.. Whisht, whischt [see quot. 1382 s.v. whist int.1]. 1684 [Meriton] Yorksh. Dial. 53 Wheesht, wheesht, my Mother's coming up. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Sheph. iii. i. Prol., But whisht! it is the Knight in Masquerade, That comes. 1815 Scott Guy M. xlv, But whisht, I hear the keeper coming. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xxx, ‘Wheesht!’ said he, ‘this is my affairs’. |