quietus
[kwahy-ee-tuh s]
- a finishing stroke; anything that effectually ends or settles: Having given a quietus to the argument, she left.
- discharge or release from life.
- a period of retirement or inactivity.
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Origin of quietus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for quietus
Contemporary Examples
The briefest glance at David's productivity and output during his tenure there ought to put the quietus on that canard.
Historical Examples
It was in the second of those rooms that I nearly got my quietus.
A Thin Ghost and OthersM. R. (Montague Rhodes) James
Now that's impossible, seeing that the night porter got his quietus also.
The Slave of SilenceFred M. White
She felt that "she herself might her quietus make with a bare bodkin."
Linda TresselAnthony Trollope
Which step should I take first—the quietus, of 'curds-and-whey,' or the courtship?
The Evil Eye; Or, The Black SpectorWilliam Carleton
I gave in my account about the sick and wounded, in order to have my quietus.
The Diary of John Evelyn, Volume II (of 2)John Evelyn
quietus
- anything that serves to quash, eliminate, or killto give the quietus to a rumour
- a release from life; death
- the discharge or settlement of debts, duties, etc
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Word Origin
C16: from Latin quiētus est, literally: he is at rest, quiet
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for quietus
n.
"discharge, clearing of accounts," 1530s, short for Medieval Latin phrase quietus est "he is quit" (see quit). Hence, "death" (i.e. "final discharge"), c.1600. Latin quies also was used for "the peace of death."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper