hist
/hɪst/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.86 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
History (in journal titles such as "J Hist Neurosci" - "Journal of the History of Neuroscience").
intj
An injunction to be silent and/or to pay attention to what is being said or can be heard.
Dated
Example Sentences
- ""My worthy Nelly! I am greatly rejoiced to find it is no other than thee. Hist! child, hist! Should Ishmael gain a knowledge of our plans, he would not hesitate to cast us both from this rock, upon the plain beneath. Hist! Nelly, hist!""
- "1850, Edgar Allan Poe, Scenes from "Politian", 2009 [1902], Charles F. Richardson (editor), The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Volume 1: Poems, page 87, Hist! hist! thou canst not say / Thou hearest not now Baldazzar?,"
- "There’s a clue somewhere; wait a bit; hist—hark! By Jove, I have it!"
- "'A tinker!' repeated Sir Hugh, quite loud, in defiance of the signs and hists! hists! of Camilla, 'good lack! that's a person I should never have thought of!'"
- "1952, R. A. Atkinson, Uncle Aaron Peddles a Possum, 2010 [1976], J. Mason Brewer (editor), Dog Ghosts and The Word on the Brazos (Combined edition), page 30, When he spy de train a-comin' 'roun' de curve, he hists de hankershuf way up ovuh his haid for hit to stop, an' when de engineer rech de spot whar Unkuh Aaron stannin', he jumps down outen his seat to de groun' an asts Unkuh Aaron de why he stop de train."
Usage
- Dated
- Uncountable
- American usage