From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtaciturnta‧ci‧turn /ˈtæsətɜːn $ -ɜːrn/ adjective formal TALK TO somebodyspeaking very little, so that you seem unfriendly → monosyllabic► see thesaurus at quiet —taciturnity /ˌtæsəˈtɜːnəti $ -ɜːr-/ noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
taciturn• It was unlike her to be so taciturn.• She was taciturn and almost melancholic; her parents had raised her on stories of hardship.• I tried to make polite small talk with him although he seemed distinctly taciturn, if not downright moody.• The ship's captain was a taciturn man who spoke only to give orders.• The Raika were in trouble and when it came to articulating their misfortunes these normally taciturn men became eloquent.• They were met at the door by a mercifully taciturn priest, who escorted them without fuss to their quarters.• It was unlike her to be so taciturn - she must have had something on her mind.Origin taciturn (1700-1800) French taciturne, from Latin taciturnus, from tacitus; → TACIT 