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whist

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Be quiet! Hush!—an imperative interjection demanding silence, often for suspense or reverence in poetic speech.

Detailed Definition
“Whist” commands silence, common in dramatic or rustic contexts. In poetry, it punctuates tension or secrecy. The monosyllable’s softness creates intimacy. Poets use it to mark moments of listening or concealment, where “whist” suspends action, reinforcing themes of caution, revelation, and the power of quiet in narrative and lyrical traditions.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Whist! The guard approaches,” warns the conspirator; In Shakespeare’s Henry IV: “Whist! I hear a drum”; “Whist, child, and listen”; “The night was whist but for owls”; “Whist not truth with silence”; Whist! The stars are speaking.
Additional Notes
“Whist” is an imperative for silence (“whist, ye winds!”); in dramatic or supernatural contexts, it commands stillness before revelation, functioning as a threshold marker between noise and epiphany.
Other Meanings of “whist”
Also Known As
quiet hush silence
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