# hush

/ˈhəʃ/ (US) · /hˈʌʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hush
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. a silence

noun · CEFR B2

a sudden period of silence, especially when people are waiting or after a loud noise.

For teachers: a state of sudden or expectant silence, often following a period of noise or preceding a significant event.

- A sudden hush fell over the crowd as the singer walked onto the stage.
- An expectant hush descended upon the courtroom as the jury foreman stood up to deliver the final verdict.

### 2. to make quiet

verb · CEFR B2

to make someone or something become quiet.

For teachers: to cause a person or group to become silent; to suppress noise or speech.

- She tried to hush the crying baby by rocking him gently.
- The librarian hushed the rowdy students with a stern look, restoring the quiet atmosphere of the reading room.

### 3. to become quiet

verb · CEFR B2

to stop talking or making noise.

For teachers: to become silent or quiet; often used as an imperative to command silence.

- The audience hushed as the lights in the theatre began to dim.
- The wind suddenly hushed, leaving the forest in an eerie and absolute stillness before the storm broke.

### 4. mining with water

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical · Archaic

to use a rush of water to wash away soil and find metal or ore in the ground.

For teachers: to use a sudden release of dammed water to remove overburden and expose mineral veins.

- In the past, miners would hush the hillside to reveal the lead underneath.
- Archaeological evidence suggests that the Romans used hushing techniques to expose gold-bearing quartz veins in the hillsides of Wales.

Usage: Primarily used in historical accounts of lead or tin mining.

### 5. mining area

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Archaic

a place in a mine where water was used to wash away dirt and find ore.

For teachers: a ravine or gully created by the artificial rush of water used in hydraulic mining.

- The deep hush in the valley is a scar left by ancient mining activities.
- The landscape is dotted with hushes, man-made gullies where water once scoured the earth to reveal the mineral wealth below.

## Examples

- A sudden hush fell over the room.
- An expectant hush descended upon the stadium as the sprinter stepped into the starting blocks.
- The heavy snowfall created a profound hush across the valley, muffling the usual sounds of traffic and industry until the world felt entirely still.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.