To silence a man; to knock him down, or stun him. Silence in the court, the cat is pissing; a gird upon any one requiring silence unnecessarily.
Definition taken from The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, originally by Francis Grose.
Sign of The * Silent FluteNathan Bailey's 1736 Dictionary of canting and thieving slang
John S. Farmer's collection of canting songs and slang rhymes