whisht

== English == === Alternative forms === wheesht, weesht whish whist === Etymology === From Middle English qwyst, whisht, whist, imitative, though perhaps influenced by other verbs in wh- used in the imperative or by hust (adjective). === Interjection === whisht (Ireland; UK, especially Scotland, Northumbria) Shush, silence, be quiet! A sound often used to calm livestock, cattle, sheep etc. ==== Translations ==== === See also === wisht === References === Frank Graham, editor (1987), “WHISHT”, in The New Geordie Dictionary, Rothbury, Northumberland: Butler Publishing, →ISBN. == Scots == === Alternative forms === wheesht === Etymology === From Scottish Gaelic èist (“listen, harken”). === Interjection === whisht a call for silence, hush! === Verb === whisht (third-person singular simple present whishts, present participle whishtin, simple past and past participle whishtit) to call for silence, to say whisht (transitive) to silence (someone) (intransitive) to be silent === Noun === whisht (plural whishts) (usually negative) a slight sound, a whisper (rare, poetic) silence ==== Derived terms ==== keep one's whisht (“to hold one's tongue”) === Adjective === whisht (not comparable) (archaic) hushed, quiet === References === “Whisht, interj., v., n., adj.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC, reproduced from W[illiam] Grant and D[avid] D. Murison, editors, The Scottish National Dictionary, Edinburgh: Scottish National Dictionary Association, 1931–1976, →OCLC.