hist — English Dictionary

Interjection

1. An utterance used to discreetly attract someone's attention.

   Usage

   • Dated

2. An injunction to be silent and/or to pay attention to what is being said or can be heard.

   Usage

   • Dated

   Examples

   More examples (2)

   "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!

Noun

1. An instance of an exclamation attracting attention or injunction to be silent.

   Usage

   • Dated

   Examples

   '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!'