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silver

Pronunciation: /ˈsɪlvə/

Translate silver | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of silver

noun

[mass noun]
  • 1a precious shiny greyish-white metal, the chemical element of atomic number 47: (Symbol: Ag) [as modifier]:a silver necklace
  • 2a shiny grey-white colour or appearance like that of silver:the dark hair was now highlighted with silver
  • 3silver dishes, containers, or cutlery:thieves stole £5,000 worth of silver the family silver
  • household cutlery of any material.
  • 4coins made from silver or from a metal that resembles silver: George dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out some small silver
  • chiefly Scottish money.

verb

[with object] (often as adjective silvered)
  • coat or plate with silver:large silvered candlesticks
  • provide (mirror glass) with a backing of a silver-coloured material in order to make it reflective: a silvered looking glass
  • literary (especially of the moon) give a silvery appearance to:the brilliant moon silvered the turf
  • turn (a person’s hair) grey or white: his damp hair, long silvered and now thinning
  • [no object] (of a person’s hair) turn grey or white: Alexia remained a young woman even as her hair silvered

Phrases

every cloud has a silver lining

proverb every difficult or sad situation has a comforting or more hopeful aspect, even though this may not be immediately apparent: after the fire two years ago few could see the silver lining

the silver screen

the cinema industry; cinema films collectively:stars of the silver screen

Origin:

Old English seolfor, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zilver and German Silber

silver in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of silver in the US English dictionary

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