silencern.
/ˈsʌɪlənsə/, /ˈsʌɪln̩sə/, U.S. /ˈsaɪlənsər/ 1. A person who or thing which silences a person; spec. a conclusive argument or retort.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > testing > refutation, disproof > [noun] > that which refutes
silencer1600
floorer1837
nothing of the sort1869
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > loss or lack of voice > [noun] > silence or not uttering > putting to silence > one who or that which
silencer1600
1600 T. Nashe Summers Last Will sig. G Pithagoras the silencer.
1635 Earl of Strafford Let. 6 May (1739) I. 419 Death (the great, and final Silencer of all our Words and Thoughts).
1684 R. Baxter Acct. Twelve Arguments Postscr., in Catholick Communion Defended Both Extreams..are silencers of all that would undecieve them.
1817 J. Keats Poems 39 Bane of every wicked spell; Silencer of dragon's yell.
1871 G. Meredith Harry Richmond I. xv. 229 But my retort..was a silencer.
2012 Irish Examiner (Nexis) 27 Aug. For all the critics of Donegal's style of football, that statistic was quite the silencer.
2.
a. A device fitted to a machine to reduce the volume of sound that it emits when working; esp. (British) a part of the exhaust of a motor vehicle which acts to muffle engine noise (cf. muffler n. 4c).
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > inaudibility > [noun] > silence > that which silences > silencer on vehicle or gun
silencer1878
society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > powered vehicle > parts and equipment of motor vehicles > [noun] > exhaust-pipe > device attached to
silencer1878
society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > machines which impart power > engine > internal-combustion engine > [noun] > parts of > silencer
silencer1878
muffler1895
1878 U.S. Patent 199,512 This invention relates to a silencer for exhaust-steam in connection with steam car-brakes and other exhaust-steam passages.
1898 Autocar 5 Feb. 93/2 A more satisfactory silencer than the average run of silencers on Bollées.
1950 G. Brenan Face of Spain vii. 149 Nine hours in a bus without a silencer..over mountain roads full of pot-holes.
1991 Power Sept. 52/1 Other modifications made to all the units include installation of silencers on safety valves, steam blow-off piping, and emissions monitors.
2002 L. Purves Radio (2003) iv. 47 At the end of the day he hauled on full motorbike leathers over his suit and sped off home on a big Hell's Angel number with gleaming exhaust and a dodgy silencer.
b. A device attached to the barrel of a gun to reduce the sound of a shot.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > firearm > parts and fittings of firearms > [noun] > silencer
silencer1905
sound moderator1934
1905 A. Thompson Brit. Patent 20692/1904 1 (title) Silencer for Maxim and similar guns.
1978 R. Ludlum Holcroft Covenant iii. 44 He opened the door, pulled out his revolver and fired, the gunshot muted by a silencer.
2019 Express Online (Nexis) 29 Mar. Police also believe a silencer was used on the gun, as no neighbours reported hearing a gunshot.
3. Molecular Biology. A DNA sequence to which a repressor protein binds, inhibiting the transcription of a gene or set of genes (cf. silence v. 9). Frequently as a modifier, esp. in silencer sequence.
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1985 A. H. Brand et al. in Cell 41 41/2 Since the E regulatory site acts to repress, rather than enhance, transcription from adjacent promoters, we have called it a ‘silencer’ sequence.
2013 M. Stubbs & N. Suleyman Crash Course: Cell Biol. & Genetics E-Bk. (ed. 4) 87/1 Transcription from a gene may be reduced in a tissue-specific manner by the presence of silencers..and repressor proteins.
Derivatives
ˈsilencered adj. (of a gun) fitted with a silencer (cf. silenced adj. 3).
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > inaudibility > [adjective] > silent > fitted with silencer
silenced1909
silencered1935
society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > firearm > [adjective] > others
stocked1497
breeched1575
chambered1611
tower-proof1673
triggerless18..
hair-triggered1806
vizyless1828
high-velocity1854
sighted1859
calibred1887
recoilless1888
sham-damn1895
silenced1909
silencered1935
multicalibre1983
1935 F. van Wyck Mason Budapest Parade Murders xi. 127 The fact that Inspector Szabó, sitting downstairs, had heard no shot argued the use of a silencered revolver.
1967 J. Wainwright Worms must Wait lxxxii. 214 They heard the tiny crack of the silencered Luger.
2019 @_TommyTombs_ 20 Mar. in twitter.com (accessed 25 July 2019) We see man with a silencered gun in a fun house.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2020; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1600