Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Silent \Si"lent\, a. [L. silens, -entis, p. pr. of silere to be
   silent; akin to Goth. ana-silan.]
   1. Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly
      quiet.

            How silent is this town!              --Shak.

   2. Not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute;
      taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.

            Ulysses, adds he, was the most eloquent and most
            silent of men.                        --Broome.

            This new-created world, whereof in hell Fame is not
            silent.                               --Milton.

   3. Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed; as, the wind
      is silent. --Parnell. Sir W. Raleigh.

   4. (Pron.) Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent; as, e
      is silent in ``fable.''

   5. Having no effect; not operating; inefficient. [R.]

            Cause . . . silent, virtueless, and dead. --Sir W.
                                                  Raleigh.

   {Silent partner}. See {Dormant partner}, under {Dormant}.

   Syn: Mute; taciturn; dumb; speechless; quiet; still. See
        {Mute}, and {Taciturn}.

Silent \Si"lent\, n.
   That which is silent; a time of silence. [R.] ``The silent of
   the night.'' --Shak.

Partner \Part"ner\, n. [For parcener, influenced by part.]
   1. One who has a part in anything with an other; a partaker;
      an associate; a sharer. ``Partner of his fortune.''
      --Shak. Hence:
      (a) A husband or a wife.
      (b) Either one of a couple who dance together.
      (c) One who shares as a member of a partnership in the
          management, or in the gains and losses, of a business.

                My other self, the partner of my life. --Milton.

   2. (Law) An associate in any business or occupation; a member
      of a partnership. See {Partnership}.

   3. pl. (Naut.) A framework of heavy timber surrounding an
      opening in a deck, to strengthen it for the support of a
      mast, pump, capstan, or the like.

   {Dormant}, or {Silent}, {partner}. See under {Dormant}, a.

   Syn: Associate; colleague; coadjutor; confederate; partaker;
        participator; companion; comrade; mate.

Source : WordNet®

silent
     adj 1: marked by absence of sound; "a silent house"; "soundless
            footsteps on the grass"; "the night was still" [syn: {soundless},
             {still}]
     2: failing to speak or communicate etc when expected to; "the
        witness remained silent" [syn: {mum}]
     3: indicated by necessary connotation though not expressed
        directly; "gave silent consent"; "a tacit agreement"; "the
        understood provisos of a custody agreement" [syn: {implied},
         {tacit}, {understood}]
     4: not made to sound; "the silent `h' at the beginning of
        `honor'"; "in French certain letters are often unsounded"
        [syn: {unsounded}]
     5: having a frequency below or above the range of human
        audibility; "a silent dog whistle"
     6: unable to speak because of hereditary deafness [syn: {dumb},
         {mute}]