/wɪst/, /ʍɪst/
OriginAlteration of whisk, perhaps so called from the notion of “whisking” up cards after each trick. Altered perhaps on assumption that the word was an interjection invoking silence, by influence of whist (“silent”).
- countable, uncountableAny of several four-player card games, similar to bridge.
- countable, uncountableA session of playing this card game.
- rare, transitiveTo hush or shush; to still.
“o was the Titaness put downe and whist”
- intransitive, rareTo become silent.
“The fields whist, beasts, and fowls of divers bue”
- rareSilent, hushed.
“Come unto these yellow sands, / And then take hands: / Courtsied when you have and kiss'd / The wild waves whist, / Foot it featly here and there; / And, sweet sprites, the burthen bear.[…]”
Formswhists(plural) · whists(present, singular, third-person) · whisting(participle, present) · whisted(participle, past) · whisted(past) · more whist(comparative) · most whist(superlative)