Quiesce

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /kwiˈɛs/

Definitions

1. To enter a state of stillness or inactivity, ceasing movement or noise
2. To become calm and motionless, stopping any active behavior
3. To fall into a quiet or dormant condition, withdrawing from action

Etymology: Latin "quiēscere" meant to rest, repose, or become quiet, and it is built from "quiētus" (quiet, at rest) with an inceptive ending that marks the beginning of a state. English borrowed the verb directly from that Latin root, so "quiesce" is a learned term rather than a word that passed through everyday speech. Its earliest English uses kept the sense of settling into rest, and the word has stayed largely formal ever since. Its most familiar relative is "quiet", which came into English through Old French from the same Latin adjective "quiētus". The two words are therefore cousins that took separate routes: one arrived as a homely everyday adjective, while the other was brought in later as a formal verb that sounds more technical than its sibling.

Synonyms: calm, settle, repose

Antonyms: agitate, disturb