▪ I. husht, int.1 Now dial.
(hʌʃt)
Also 6 hui(s)sht.
[app. a variant of hust int., q.v.]
= hush int.
| 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love (ed. 1531) i. v. (ed. Skeat I. 90), Thus, after jangling wordes, cometh huissht! pees! and be stille! 1565–73 Cooper Thesaurus, Bat, a worde of reproche: as tush: tut. Sometyme of silence, as husht. 1598 Florio, Citto, a word to bid children holde their peace, as we say whusht, husht. 1611 Cotgr., Houische,.. husht, whist, ist, not a word for your life. 1845 Carlyle Cromwell (1871) V. 155 Husht, poor weeping Mary. 1887 S. Chesh. Gloss., Husht, hush! |
▪ II. husht, int.2
[Cf. hist int. 2.]
A cry to frighten off or drive away an animal.
| 1853 W. B. Barker Lares & Penates 285 As soon as the dog seizes the bird, the master calls out, Husht! Husht! throwing a stone or anything he can at him to make him let go the bird. |
▪ III. husht, a. arch.
(hʌʃt)
Also 5 hussht, hushte, hoscht. See also hushed.
[In 15th c. texts, hussht, hushte, varies with hust, huyst, and whist, derived from the corresponding interjectional forms, to express the state which these enjoin or produce. As an adj., husht gave rise to a vb. and n. of the same form; but it appears to have been at length felt as a pa. pple., as if hush-t, from which feeling there arose a new verb hush; under the influence of this, the original adj. itself passed into the pa. pple. hush'd, hushed, of which it is now treated as a variant spelling.]
Silent, still, quiet; later, Reduced to silence, rendered silent.
| 1400–30 Chaucer's Knt.'s T. 2123 (Harl. MS.) Whan þey were sette and hussht [Six-text, hust, huyst] was al þe place. c 1440 Bone Flor. 813 All was hoscht and stylle. 1530 Palsgr. 589/1, I can make my chylde hushte whan me lyst, though he krye never so fast. 1592 Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 458 Euen as the wind is husht before it raineth. 1697 Dryden Virg. Past. ix. 80 Husht Winds the topmost Branches scarcely bend. 1812 J. Wilson Isle of Palms i. 72 The husht billow. |
▪ IV. † husht, v. Obs. rare—0.
Also 6 whosht.
[f. husht int.1 or a.: cf. hust, whist, whisht vbs., and see hush v.]
a. trans. To still, to hush. b. intr. To be still or silent.
| 1530 Palsgr. 589/1, I huste, I styll, je repayse and je recoyse. Declared in ‘I husht’. 1552 Huloet, Husht or kepe silence, reticeo..sileo. 1598 Florio, Tasentare, to whosht, to still, to put to silence, to hould ones peace. |
▪ V. husht, n.
[f. husht int. or a.: cf. hush n.2]
Silence, quiet, hush.
| 1566 Drant Wail. Hierim. K vj b, He that was proude and bare him hye muste syt in hushte alone. 1602 Marston Antonio's Rev. i. i, Even in the husht of night. |