hist

[ st, sst; spelling pronunciation hist ]

/ st, sst; spelling pronunciation hɪst /

interjection

(a sibilant exclamation used to attract attention).

Nearby words

hisself, hissing, hissingly, hissy, hissy fit, hist, hist-, hist., histadrut, histalog test, histamin

Origin of hist

First recorded in 1595–1605; representing in writing the sound sequence st

Definition for hist (2 of 3)

hist-

variant of histo- before a vowel: histidine.

Definition for hist (3 of 3)

hist.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hist

Howsever, Hist has a ready mind, and she's one of them that doesn't always need to have a thing afore her, to see it.
The Deerslayer|James Fenimore Cooper
Judith held no communications with any but Hist, after the death of her sister, until she retired for the night.
The Deerslayer|James Fenimore Cooper
Hist,” whispered Florence, dragging her into a slow walk; “here comes the child.
The Secret Mark|Roy J. Snell
But as we were skirting along the shore I suddenly called "Hist!"
A Florida Sketch-Book|Bradford Torrey

Moses sought to hist the serpent, but the serpent histed him.
Swingin Round the Cirkle.|Petroleum V. Nasby

British Dictionary definitions for hist

hist

/ (hɪst) /

interjection

an exclamation used to attract attention or as a warning to be silent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for hist

hist

exclamation commanding silence, attested from 1610s; probably so chosen because the sound is both easy to hear and suddenly silent.

Medicine definitions for hist

hist-

pref.

Variant ofhisto-