Silent Sam
/ˌsaɪlənt ˈsæm/
Silent Sam noun: a person who seldom or never speaks; a taciturn or unresponsive individual.
Noun (1)
Silent Sam (plural Silent Sams)
- A person who seldom or never speaks; a taciturn or unresponsive individual.
- But because Pierce has usually avoided the news media and gone about his work in the quiet behind-the-scenes way that brought him eminence as a top New York City litigator, the press has derisively tagged him "Silent Sam."1983 Mar, “Sam Pierce Hangs Tough”, in Black Enterprise, volume 13, number 8, page 43
- Now he threw the Silent Sam treatment on me.2002, Jack Womack, Going, Going, Gone, →ISBN, page 47
- A machine, device, etc. which operates without making noticeable sound.
- "I've named my new noiseless aeroplane—Army Air Scout—I've named that Silent Sam. Wait until you hear it, or rather, don't hear it, and I think you'll agree with me. Silent Sam for Uncle Sam!"1919, Victor Appleton, chapter 17, in Tom Swift and His Air Scout
- Or if you're a coward, there's Silent Sam ($1950), an automated early-warning safety robot flagman.1977 July, Richard West, “Reporter: Law and Order”, in Texas Monthly, volume 5, number 7, page 64
- A mixed alcoholic beverage, usually containing vodka, a cola soft drink, and other ingredients.
- Ingredients: 13 oz vodka, 1 liter cola, (pepsi, coca cola...), 6-10 scoops iced tea. . . . Add all ingredients to a punch bowl.2010, “Silent Sam Mix Cocktail Recipe”, in www.1001cocktails.com, retrieved 20 Apr 2011
Noun (2) capitalized: silent Sam
silent Sam (plural silent Sams)
- Alternative form of Silent Sam.
Examples of Silent Sam in a sentence
- It's hard to get input from the Silent Sam even with a direct question—this person just doesn't have anything to say.2008, Sara Pope, Team Leader Workbook, →ISBN, pages 4–31:
- With Silent Sam clients it is important for group leaders to make active and continuous efforts to get them involved in the group.2011, Linda Carter Sobell, Mark B. Sobell, Group Therapy for Substance Use Disorders, →ISBN, page 205:
Forms of Silent Sam
| plural | Silent Sams |
|---|---|
| alternative form | silent Sam |
| plural | silent Sams |
Origin of Silent Sam
From silent (“speechless, mute”) + Sam (“a diminutive of male given name Samuel”). From ante 1920.
Questions about Silent Sam
- What does Silent Sam mean?
- Silent Sam means a person who seldom or never speaks; a taciturn or unresponsive individual.
- How do you use Silent Sam in a sentence?
- It's hard to get input from the Silent Sam even with a direct question—this person just doesn't have anything to say.
- What part of speech is Silent Sam?
- Silent Sam is a noun.
- How do you pronounce Silent Sam?
- Silent Sam is pronounced /ˌsaɪlənt ˈsæm/.
- What is the plural of Silent Sam?
- The plural of Silent Sam is Silent Sams.
Words near Silent Sam in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: Silent Sam (page history and authors); silent Sam (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-au-Silent Sam.ogg.
Cite this entry: “Silent Sam.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/silent_sam. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.