quietus

[ kwahy-ee-tuh s ]

/ kwaɪˈi təs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR quietus ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural qui·e·tus·es.

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.

RELATED WORDS

clincher, overthrow, overcoming

Nearby words

Origin of quietus

1530–40; < Medieval Latin quiētus quit (in quiētus est (he) is quit, a formula of acquittance), Latin: (he) is quiet, at rest (see quiet¹); cf. quit¹ (adj.)

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

Examples from the Web for quietus

The briefest glance at David's productivity and output during his tenure there ought to put the quietus on that canard.
The Frum Flap|Christopher Buckley|March 27, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The pressure of care is thus relieved, without its quietus being found in intelligence.
Winds Of Doctrine|George Santayana
After giving him his quietus she had no doubt intended to take his canoe and join her party.
The Woman from Outside|Hulbert Footner
A fracture of the rope or the falling of a piece of rock might give the explorer his quietus.
The Jenolan Caves|Samuel Cook

Nobody on earth could blame you for putting the quietus on old Templeton Thorpe.
From the Housetops|George Barr McCutcheon
The passage of the Hepburn Bill put the first quietus upon the development of the carriers.
Our Railroads To-Morrow|Edward Hungerford

British Dictionary definitions for quietus

quietus

/ (kwaɪˈiːtəs, -ˈeɪtəs) /

noun plural -tuses

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

Word Origin for quietus

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for quietus

quietus

"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."