Nearby Words

taciturn

[tas-i-turn] Origin

tac·i·turn

[tas-i-turn]
adjective
1.
inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation.
2.
dour, stern, and silent in expression and manner.

Origin:
1765–75; < Latin taciturnus, quiet, maintaining silence, equivalent to tacit(us) silent (see tacit) + -urnus adj. suffix of time

tac·i·turn·ly, adverb
un·tac·i·turn, adjective
un·tac·i·turn·ly, adverb


1. silent, uncommunicative, reticent, quiet.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Taciturn is a GRE word you need to know.
So is haggard. Does it mean:
having a gaunt, wasted, or exhausted appearance, as from prolonged suffering, exertion, or anxiety
a fine, filmy cobweb seen on grass or bushes or floating in the air in calm weather; any thin, light fabric with this quality
Collins
World English Dictionary
taciturn (ˈtæsɪˌtɜːn)
 
adj
habitually silent, reserved, or uncommunicative; not inclined to conversation
 
[C18: from Latin taciturnus, from tacitus silent, from tacēre to be silent]
 
taci'turnity
 
n
 
'taciturnly
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

taciturn
"habitually silent," 1771, back formation from taciturnity.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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