Forms: 4–7 quyet, (4–6 -te, 6 -tt), 5 quiete, 6 quyat, quyit, queat, 8 Sc. quait, 6– quiet. [a. OF. quiete or ad. L. quiētus, pa. pple. to quiēscĕre to come to rest, f. root of quiēs rest, QUIET sb. The popular Fr. form coi is represented by COY a.]
I. 1. Of persons (or animals): Making no stir, commotion or noise; causing no trouble or disturbance; remaining at rest; not moving or acting.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Thess. iv. 11. We preyen ȝou … that ȝe be quyet, and do ȝoure nede.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 277 b. Obteyne of the Clergie, that they wyll be quiet, tyll suche tyme as the other States may declare [etc.].
1586. Warner, Alb. Eng., I. vi. (1612), 24. Lycus … did cast his haughtie armes abroad, as who would say, be queat.
1715. Ramsay, Christ’s Kirk Gr., II. vi. Let gae my hands, I say, be quait.
1738. Swift, Polite Conv., Wks. 1883, IX. 403. I wish you would be quiet, you have more tricks than a dancing bear.
1831. Mrs. Sherwood, Henry Milner, III. iii. 44. The young men began to call to them crying, ‘Whisht, whisht, what ails the curs?—quiet there, Viper—down there, Biter.’
1843. Miall, in Nonconf., III. 635. Rebecca’s rights once obtained we will be as quiet as mice.
b. (Also of nature or disposition.) Habitually or naturally peaceful or averse to making stir, noise, etc. Of an animal: Gentle.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), II. 167. The peple of the sowthe is meke and quiete.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Chron. xxii[i]. 9. The sonne which shal be borne vnto the, shal be a quyete man.
1609. Bible (Douay), Mic. iv. comm. Quiet patient people … suffering persecution with alacritie of minde.
1669. Clarendon, Ess., Tracts (1727), 148. Quiet and easy natures are like fair weather.
a. 1720. Sewel, Hist. Quakers (1795), I. Pref. 18. They always were quiet and never made any resistance.
1811. Sporting Mag., XXXVIII. 212. The defendant did not put the question … whether it were a quiet horse?
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, vi. Barnaby is not in his quietest humour to-night.
1863. Q. Rev., July, 262. It is a great relief to quiet people when the Easter ceremonies are wound up.
† c. Sc. in specific senses: Acting or living quietly; remaining hid or secret; fast asleep. Obs.
1533. Gau, Richt Vay, 17. Thay that ar quiet and fals flatterers.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot., X. vii. Traistyng … sum quiet personis liand ay in wait to inuaid hym.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., X. 444. I could not beleeue, that the Patrone of so great a Monarchy, could be so quiet; yea, as quiet as a Countrey Baron is with vs.
1651. Weldon, Crt. Jas. I., 107. Loveston replies, He is quiet (which in the Scotish dialect is fast asleep).
2. Of things: Not active; not moving or stirring; also, making no noise; still.
Quiet disease, latent hip-joint disease in children (Syd. Soc. Lex., 1897). † Quiet letter, a quiescent letter.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., III. ii. 36. For Pistoll, hee hath a killing Tongue, and a quiet Sword.
1658. P. Goodwin, Myst. Dreams, in Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. cxxvii. 2. The Hebrew word … being with aleph, a quiet or resting letter.
1798. Wordsw., Tintern Abbey, 47. An eye made quiet by the power Of harmony.
1816. Scott, Antiq., iii. The dust was very ancient, peaceful, quiet dust about an hour ago.
a. 1889. Eliza Cook, Poems (Rtldg.), 51. I prize the soul That slumbers in a quiet eye.
1898. J. Hutchinson, in Arch. Surg., IX. 330. Doubts might have been felt as to whether the induration was really malignant. It was quite quiet.
b. Free from excess; not going to extremes; moderate, gentle; esp. of color, dress, style, etc.: Not obtrusive, glaring or showy.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 261 b. That for the appeasing of religion, they would use lawfull and quiet remedies.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 5. Now you shall have a quiet breath and gale, and suddenly an unexpected violent gust.
1685. Dryden, Horace, Odes, III. xxix. 54. The tide of bus’ness … Is sometimes high, and sometimes low, A quiet ebb, or a tempestuous flow.
1768. Sterne, Sent. Journ. (1778), I. 63. (Remise Door), I made them a quiet bow, and wished them a good passage to Dover.
1838. Lytton, Alice, 21. A woman of quiet and pleasing exterior.
1856. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., III. IV. App. 346. The beautiful quiet English of Helps.
1885. R. L. & F. Stevenson, Dynamiter, 185. He was conscious of a certain regular and quiet sound.
1889. Catholic News, 15 June, 8/6. There was a quiet trade in pigs.
c. Avoiding or escaping notice; private, secret, underhand. (In older use only Sc.)
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S. T. S.), I. 87. He … send quyit messagis to his freindis.
a. 1600. Montgomerie, Misc. Poems, xviii. 65. Thair companie [it] wes not quyet, Bot or they wist they wer beuryde.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 52 (Acts Robt. III., c. 2). The kings lieges, are trubled in their lands, be volunter and quyet recognitions, made be the overlords.
1899. Westm. Gaz., 29 Dec., 8/2. ‘Quiet cases’ meaning the insurance of lives without the knowledge of the persons so insured.
II. 3. Free from disturbance, molestation or annoyance; not interfered or meddled with; left in peace. a. of a state, condition, procedure, etc.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Tim. ii. 2. That we lede quyet and pesyble lyf.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 3720. In quiete prayers he contenued.
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 921. A quyete slepe is right necessary and delycious.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 94 b. If they maye have their Religion quiet untill the counsell, they are also contented to become contributaries.
1601. R. Johnson, Kingd. & Commw. (1603), 96. They sent some of their greatest princes to Cæsar, to intreat a quiet passage through the Romane prouince.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St. (1648), 18. Though prayer purchaseth blessings, giving praise doth keep quiet possession of them.
1766. Blackstone, Comm., II. 304. The grantor may covenant … for the grantee’s quiet enjoyment.
† b. of a person, people or country. Also const. from. Obs.
1558. Goodman, How to Obey, 175. Hauing your Realme free from strangers, and quiete from all enimies.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, II. i. 266. While she is heere, a man may liue as quiet in hell, as in a sanctuary.
1611. Bible, Job iii. 26. I was not in safetie, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet: yet trouble came.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., II. iii. § 26. That the abbot should be quiet from the bishop’s right.
1672. Milton, P. R., III. 360. Long to enjoy it quiet and secure.
† c. Quit, clear. Obs. rare–1.
1473–4. in Swayne, Sarum Churchw. Acc. (1896), 16. Iiijs. vijd. the which ben forgeven them … and so they ben quyete.
4. Characterized by the absence of all strife, bustle, stir or commotion; also, free from noise or uproar, silent, still.
1514. Barclay, Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.), 11. Than … Wedlocke was quyet & pleasaunt without stryfe.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., V. i. 25. I could be well content To entertaine the Lagge-end of my life With quiet houres.
1611. Bible, Wisd. xviii. 14. While all things were in quiet silence.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., III. xii. § 27. He chose a quiet county before a cumbersome kingdom.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, x. In the second chamber all was quiet and in order.
1831–3. E. Burton, Eccl. Hist., i. (1845), 9. If the state of things might be described as at all quiet.
1856. Kane, Arctic Explor., II. xxiv. 204. We gave two quiet hours to the memory of our dead brother.
1872. Ruskin, Eagle’s N., § 179. My hope … that the streams of the Isis and Cherwell will be kept pure and quiet.
b. Remote from scenes of activity; retired.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems (S.T.S.), xliii. 33. In quyet place,… They can, percaice, Purchess some grace.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 187. They … past to the wall heid at ane quyit place quhair the watches might haue no sight of them.
1738. Gray, Propertius, iii. 105. Then to my quiet Urn awhile draw near.
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, xxxvii. As soon as he and Lady Ascot were seated on a quiet sofa.
c. Partaken of, or enjoyed, in quiet.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xxvi. To have a quiet cup of tea.
1892. ‘F. Anstey,’ Voces Pop., Ser. II. 85. A cup of coffee, and a quiet cigar.
5. Of the mind, conscience, etc.: Not troubled or distressed; free from agitation or excitement. So also of persons in respect of the mind, etc.
1535. Coverdale, Prov. xv. 15. A quyete herte is as a contynuall feast.
1552. Bk. Com. Prayer Commun., With a quiet conscience.
1558. Goodman, How to Obey, 230. That you cannot be quiete in conscience.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., I. iii. 96. Truth hath a quiet breast.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, I. § 5. 8. The bond of a Creditor, so lies on the debter, that he is not quiet till it be discharged.
† 6. Sheltered from the wind. Obs. rare.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 30. In the scoug of the craig and castell is a verie quyet hauining place.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 10. For thy Bees a quiet Station find, And lodge ’em under Covert of the Wind.
III. † 7. Used as adv. = QUIETLY. Obs. rare–1.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 63. More profit is quieter found (where pastures in several bee).
8. Quasi-sb., in phr. On the quiet, privately, in secret. (Abbrev. q. t.: see Q II. 2.) slang or colloq.
1873. Slang Dict., s.v., ‘On the quiet,’ clandestinely, so as to avoid observation, ‘under the rose.’
1881. Punch, 8 Jan., 4/1. I’d just like to have a bit of chinwag with you on the quiet about the … troubles of a Cabby.
1889. H. O’Reilly, 50 Yrs. on Trail, 7. Having on the quiet found out a passenger steamboat.
9. Comb., as quiet-eyed, -mannered, -minded, -spoken, -tempered; quiet-going, -living, -looking, -moving, -seeming adjs.
1780. S. J. Pratt, Emma Corbett (ed. 4), I. 107. I can … impress the quiet-seeming sentiment.
1825. J. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, II. 194. An old, stately, quiet-looking negro.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, iii. She was a quiet-tempered lady. Ibid., iv. He was a slow, quiet-spoken … old fellow.
1886. H. F. Lester, Under two Fig Trees, 59. The exciting incidents which now and then ruffle the life of even the most quiet-going family.
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw., II. II. xlii. 119. A larger sum than a quiet-living man can need.
