I. ˈhəsh, when imperative “ or sh often prolonged verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: back-formation from husht (II) , taken as a past participle
transitive verb
1. : to repress the agitation or clamor of : lull , silence , calm , quiet
sleep … hushed by solemn-sounding waterfalls — John Muir †1914
his movement hushed the courtroom — B.A.Williams
2. : to gloss over or put at rest : mollify , quell
their protests are mild and … can be easily hushed — Paul Blanshard
brings her flowers to hush his conscience
his wife … serves him quickly and silently, hushing signs of disorder in the children — H.A.Overstreet
— often used with up
this contradiction is hushed up — L.A.Fiedler
3. : to keep from public knowledge : treat confidentially : suppress
police attempt to hush the crime — Books of the Month
— usually used with up
the story of her disgrace was hushed up — Edith Sitwell
trying to hush it up, but it was plain suicide — Vicki Baum
intransitive verb
: to become quiet : grow still
the crowd hushed, and she sang — Franc Shor
— used in the imperative to enjoin silence or urge moderation of sound
hush , baby, go to sleep
hush , boys, the party's getting noisy
II. ˈhəsh adjective
1. : devoid of sound : silent , still
everything was … hush as midnight about the house — Laurence Sterne
2. : designed to prevent the dissemination of certain information
hush money
a hush policy concerning any faults … in the American economy — Jerome Frank
3. or hushing
[from the use of a prolonged sh sound in hushing (enjoining silence)]
: being the sibilants sh and zh — compare hiss
III. noun
( -es )
1.
a. : a silence or freedom from agitation : stillness , calm
sickroom hush
cathedral hush of the deep woods
a hush and a solemnity about the proceedings — Hugh Walpole
b. : a suspension of noise or activity : cessation , lull
after a time there came a profound hush and out of the stillness a woman's voice rose — Lyle Saxon
2. : restriction of information : secrecy
prompted the policy of hush in regard to the presence of the disease on their properties — Australasian
IV. ˈhu̇sh, ˈhəsh verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: imitative
intransitive verb
dialect Britain : to gush forth in a rapid stream : rush
transitive verb
dialect England : to expose (ore) by washing a hillside with water under pressure : flush
• hush·ing -shə̇n, -shiŋ noun -s
V. noun
( -es )
dialect Britain : a rushing sound as of wind or water ; specifically : a swell of the sea