I. ˈshəsh noun
( -es )
Etymology: imitative
: a sibilant sound uttered to enjoin silence
listeners who break into a spontaneous handclap or two are immediately shamed with pious shushes — Winthrop Sargeant
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
transitive verb
1. : to urge quiet upon (as by making the sound “sh” and holding an index finger before the lips) : repress the agitation or clamor of : hush , silence
made animal noises until he was shushed — John McDonald
applauded happily but was shushed by my neighbors — Hyman Toldberg
the policeman shushed him with his hand — Claud Cockburn
2. : to restrain from a desired course or action : suppress
those … who demurred and privately pressed for a changed policy were shushed by the functionaries — Frank Tollman
intransitive verb
: to become silent : grow still : hush — used in the imperative to urge cessation of talk or moderation of sound
shush now, let's be quiet enough to hear a pin drop