radio silence
18
5.2
- noun
- /ˈreɪdioʊ ˈsaɪləns/
:
silencio en las comunicaciones
- They're operating under radio silence.
- maintain radio silence
- break radio silence
- observe radio silence
There may be a flurry of texts from them and then radio silence, which they rationalize by.
- There may be a flurry of texts from them and then radio silence, which they rationalize by.
Examples
-
Continue radio silence; make no attempt to contact them.
Fiction book (1996) -
They've gone into radio silence.
-
We will have radio silence until we can be certain.
-
It's been radio silence since I left the band.
-
We'll give her another 20 minutes, then we'll break radio silence.
-
We have to maintain radio silence.
-
We will keep absolute radio silence.
-
What's with the radio silence today?
-
We've had radio silence from Allied for the past two weeks, which can only mean one thing.
-
The team has been in radio silence for two weeks since the mission started.
Synonyms
660
2.0
A period with no sound or speech
1
7.3
A complete lack of sound in a place
A complete lack of sound in a place
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a period with no communication' is directly and predictably built from 'radio' (a communication/transmission medium) + 'silence' (absence of sound), so a learner who knows both words can infer that radio transmissions or contact have stopped. This compositional logic is straightforward and commonly extended to non-technical contexts, making the expression transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The phrase radio silence comes from early radio work, when operators were told to keep the radio quiet and keep complete silence on the air so enemies could not hear them. So that literal 'no sound on the radio' is why today it means a period of 'no communication'.