Also 6 whyst. Pa. t. and pple. whisted, whist. [f. WHIST int.1]
1. intr. To become or be silent, cease or refrain from speaking, hold one’s peace, keep silence. arch. and dial.
In the imperative coinciding with WHIST int.1, q.v.
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneis, II. 1. They whisted all with fixed face attent.
1593. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., Wks. (Grosart), II. 79. Whist sory pen, and be aduised how thou presume aboue the highest pitch of thy possibility.
1856. P. Kennedy, Banks of Boro, xli. (1867), 336. Can’t you whist?
a. 1859. L. Hunt, Shewe faire Seeming, x. They whist, and still’d their joyous crowd.
† b. trans. To be silent about, pass over in silence, keep secret. Obs.
1570. T. Wilson, Demosthenes, 35. All these matters are now whist and kept in.
1573–80. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 150. What ere he doth none ought dare say, but whist.
1594. O. B., Quest. Profit. Concern., 31 b. It seemed better vnto him to let fall his revenge, and to whist the matter.
† 2. trans. To put to silence, to hush. Hence Whisted ppl. a., hushed, silent. Obs.
a. 1541. Wyatt, Poems, Compl. upon Love to Reason, 145. Dere Lady: now we waite thyne onely sentence. She smiling, at the whisted audience: It liketh me (quod she) [etc.].
1596. Spenser, F. Q., VII. vii. 59. So was the Titaness put downe and whist.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., I. B 2 b. The breath of darknesse, fatall when ’tis whist In greatnes stomacke; this same smoake, call’d pride.
