Hush (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Hushed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Hushing.] [OE. huschen, hussen, prob. of
imitative origin; cf. LG. hussen to lull to sleep, G.
husch quick, make haste, be silent.] 1.
To still; to silence; to calm; to make quiet; to repress the
noise or clamor of.
My tongue shall hush again this storm of
war.
Shak.
2. To appease; to allay; to calm; to
soothe.
With thou, then,
Hush my cares?
Otway.
And hush'd my deepest grief of
all.
Tennyson.
To hush up, to procure silence concerning;
to suppress; to keep secret. "This matter is hushed up."
Pope.
Hush, v. i. To become or to keep
still or quiet; to become silent; -- esp. used in the imperative, as
an exclamation; be still; be silent or quiet; make no
noise.
Hush, idle words, and thoughts of
ill.
Keble.
But all these strangers' presence every one did
hush.
Spenser.Hush, n. Stillness; silence;
quiet. [R.] "It is the hush of night."
Byron.
Hush money, money paid to secure silence, or
to prevent the disclosure of facts. Swift.
Hush, a. Silent; quiet.
"Hush as death." Shak.