Adjacent Words

Silver definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SIL'VER, n.
1. A metal of a white color and lively brilliancy. It has neither taste nor smell; its specific gravity is 10.552, according to Bergman, but according to Kirwan it is less. A cubic foot weighs about 660 lbs. Its ductility is little inferior to that of gold. It is harder and more elastic that tin of iron. It is found native in thin plates or leaves, or in fine threads, or it is found mieralized by various substances. Great quanitities of the metal are furnished by the mines of South America, and it is found in small quantities in Norway, Germany, Spain, the United State, etc.
2. Money; coin made of silver.
3. Any thing of soft splendor. Pallas-piteous of her plaintive cries, In slumber clos'd her silver-streaming eyes.
SIL'VER, a.
1. Made of silver; as a silver cup.
2. White like silver; as silver hair. Others on silver lakes and rivers bath'd Their downy breast.
3. White, or pale; of a pale luster; as the silver moon.
4. SOft; as a silver voice or sound.
SIL'VER, v. t.
1. To cover superficially with a coat of silver; as, to silver a pin or a dialplate.
2. To foliate; to cover with tinfoil amalgamated with quicksilver; as, to silver glass.
3. To adorn with mild luster; to make smooth and bright. And smiling calmness silver'd o'er the deep.
4. To make hoary. His head was silver'd o'er with age.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: made from or largely consisting of silver; "silver bracelets"
2: having the white lustrous sheen of silver; "a land of silver (or silvern) rivers where the salmon leap"; "repeated scrubbings have given the wood a silvery sheen" [syn: silver, silvern, silvery]
3: of lustrous grey; covered with or tinged with the color of silver; "silvery hair" [syn: argent, silver, silvery, silverish]
4: expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively; "able to dazzle with his facile tongue"; "silver speech" [syn: eloquent, facile, fluent, silver, silver-tongued, smooth-spoken] n
1: a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography [syn: silver, Ag, atomic number 47]
2: coins made of silver
3: a light shade of grey [syn: ash grey, ash gray, silver, silver grey, silver gray]
4: silverware eating utensils [syn: flatware, silver]
5: a trophy made of silver (or having the appearance of silver) that is usually awarded for winning second place in a competition [syn: silver medal, silver] v
1: coat with a layer of silver or a silver amalgam; "silver the necklace"
2: make silver in color; "Her worries had silvered her hair"
3: turn silver; "The man's hair silvered very attractively"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English seolfor; akin to Old High German silbar silver, Lithuanian sidabras Date: before 12th century 1. a white ductile very malleable metallic element that is capable of a high degree of polish, is chiefly monovalent in compounds, and has the highest thermal and electric conductivity of any substance — see element table 2. silver as a commodity <the value of silver has risen> 3. coin made of silver 4. articles (as hollowware or table flatware) made of or plated with silver; also similar articles and especially flatware of other metals (as stainless steel) 5. a nearly neutral slightly brownish medium gray 6. coho 7. a silver medal awarded as the second prize in a competiton II. adjective Date: before 12th century 1. made of silver 2. resembling silver: as a. (1) having a white lustrous sheen (2) of or tending towards the color silver <silver fur> <a silver gray> b. giving a soft resonant sound ; dulcet in tone c. eloquently persuasive 3. consisting of or yielding silver 4. of, relating to, or characteristic of silver 5. advocating the use of silver as a standard of currency 6. of, relating to, or being a 25th anniversary or its celebration III. transitive verb (silvered; silvering) Date: 14th century 1. a. to cover with silver (as by electroplating) b. to coat with a substance (as a metal) resembling silver 2. a. to give a silvery luster to b. to make white like silver • silverer noun

Britannica Concise

Metallic chemical element, one of the transition elements, chemical symbol Ag, atomic number 47. It is a white, lustrous precious metal, valued for its beauty. It is also valued for its electrical conductivity, which is the highest of any metal. Between copper and gold in the periodic table, it is intermediate between them in many properties. Widely distributed in nature in small amounts, as the native metal and in ores, it is usually recovered as a by-product of copper and lead production. Its use in bullion and coins was overtaken in the 1960s by demand for industrial purposes, especially photography. It is also used in printed electrical circuits, electronic conductors, and contacts. It is the catalyst for converting ethylene to ethylene oxide, the precursor of many organic chemicals. Its use in alloys in sterling (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper) and plated silverware, ornaments, and jewelry remains important; yellow gold used in jewelry is 25% silver, and gold dental alloys are about 10% silver. Silver dental fillings are an amalgam of silver and mercury. Silver in compounds, the most important of which is silver nitrate, has valence 1. Its chloride, bromide, and iodide are used in photography and its iodide in cloud seeding.

Dictionary of the Elements

silver
Symbol: Ag
Atomic number: 47
Atomic weight: 107.870
White lustrous soft metallic transition element. Found in both its elemental form and in minerals. Used in jewellery, tableware and so on. Less reactive than silver, chemically.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n., adj., & v. --n. Chem. 1 a greyish-white lustrous malleable ductile precious metallic element, occurring naturally as the element and in mineral form, and used chiefly with an admixture of harder metals for coin, plate, and ornaments, as a subordinate monetary medium, and in compounds for photography etc. Usage: Symb.: Ag. 2 the colour of silver. 3 silver or cupro-nickel coins. 4 esp. Sc. money. 5 silver vessels or implements, esp. cutlery. 6 household cutlery of any material. 7 = silver medal. --adj. 1 made wholly or chiefly of silver. 2 coloured like silver. --v. 1 tr. coat or plate with silver. 2 tr. provide (a mirror-glass) with a backing of tin amalgam etc. 3 tr. (of the moon or a white light) give a silvery appearance to. 4 a tr. turn (the hair) grey or white. b intr. (of the hair) turn grey or white. Phrases and idioms: silver age a period regarded as inferior to a golden age, e.g. that of post-classical Latin literature in the early Imperial period. silver band Brit. a band playing silver-plated instruments. silver birch a common birch, Betula alba, with silver-coloured bark. silver fir any fir of the genus Abies, with the under-sides of its leaves coloured silver. silver fox 1 an American red fox at a time when its fur is black with white tips. 2 its fur. silver gilt 1 gilded silver. 2 an imitation gilding of yellow lacquer over silver leaf. silver-grey a lustrous grey. silver jubilee 1 the 25th anniversary of a sovereign's accession. 2 any other 25th anniversary. silver Latin literary Latin of the early Imperial period. silver-leaf a fungal disease of fruit trees. silver lining a consolation or hopeful feature in misfortune. silver medal a medal of silver, usu. awarded as second prize. silver nitrate a colourless solid that is soluble in water and formerly used in photography. silver paper 1 a fine white tissue-paper for wrapping silver. 2 aluminium or tin foil. silver plate vessels, spoons, etc., of copper etc. plated with silver. silver salmon a coho. silver sand a fine pure sand used in gardening. silver screen (usu. prec. by the) motion pictures collectively. silver solder solder containing silver. silver spoon a sign of future prosperity. silver standard a system by which the value of a currency is defined in terms of silver, for which the currency may be exchanged. silver thaw a glassy coating of ice formed on the ground or an exposed surface, caused by freezing rain or a sudden light frost. silver tongue eloquence. silver wedding the 25th anniversary of a wedding. silver weed a plant with silvery leaves, esp. a potentilla, Potentilla anserina, with silver-coloured leaves. Etymology: OE seolfor f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Silver Sil"ver, n. [OE. silver, selver, seolver, AS. seolfor, siolfur, siolufr, silofr, sylofr; akin to OS. silubar, OFries. selover, D. zilver, LG. sulver, OHG. silabar, silbar, G. silber, Icel. silfr, Sw. silfver, Dan. s["o]lv, Goth. silubr, Russ. serebro, Lith. sidabras; of unknown origin.] 1. (Chem.) A soft white metallic element, sonorous, ductile, very malleable, and capable of a high degree of polish. It is found native, and also combined with sulphur, arsenic, antimony, chlorine, etc., in the minerals argentite, proustite, pyrargyrite, ceragyrite, etc. Silver is one of the ``noble'' metals, so-called, not being easily oxidized, and is used for coin, jewelry, plate, and a great variety of articles. Symbol Ag (Argentum). Atomic weight 107.7. Specific gravity 10.5. Note: Silver was known under the name of luna to the ancients and also to the alchemists. Some of its compounds, as the halogen salts, are remarkable for the effect of light upon them, and are used in photography. 2. Coin made of silver; silver money. 3. Anything having the luster or appearance of silver. 4. The color of silver. Note: Silver is used in the formation of many compounds of obvious meaning; as, silver-armed, silver-bright, silver-buskined, silver-coated, silver-footed, silver-haired, silver-headed, silver-mantled, silver-plated, silver-slippered, silver-sounding, silver-studded, silver-tongued, silver-white. See Silver, a. Black silver (Min.), stephanite; -- called also brittle silver ore, or brittle silver glance. Fulminating silver. (Chem.) (a) A black crystalline substance, Ag2O.(NH3)2, obtained by dissolving silver oxide in aqua ammonia. When dry it explodes violently on the slightest percussion. (b) Silver fulminate, a white crystalline substance, Ag2C2N2O2, obtained by adding alcohol to a solution of silver nitrate. When dry it is violently explosive. German silver. (Chem.) See under German. Gray silver. (Min.) See Freieslebenite. Horn silver. (Min.) See Cerargyrite. King's silver. (O. Eng. Law) See Postfine. Red silver, or Ruby silver. (Min.) See Proustite, and Pyrargyrite. Silver beater, one who beats silver into silver leaf or silver foil. Silver glance, or Vitreous silver. (Min.) See Argentine.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Silver Sil"ver, a. 1. Of or pertaining to silver; made of silver; as, silver leaf; a silver cup. 2. Resembling silver. Specifically: (a) Bright; resplendent; white. ``Silver hair.'' --Shak. Others, on silver lakes and rivers, bathed Their downy breast. --Milton. (b) Precious; costly. (c) Giving a clear, ringing sound soft and clear. ``Silver voices.'' --Spenser. (d) Sweet; gentle; peaceful. ``Silver slumber.'' --Spenser. American silver fir (Bot.), the balsam fir. See under Balsam. Silver age (Roman Lit.), the latter part (a. d. 14-180) of the classical period of Latinity, -- the time of writers of inferior purity of language, as compared with those of the previous golden age, so-called. Silver-bell tree (Bot.), an American shrub or small tree (Halesia tetraptera) with white bell-shaped flowers in clusters or racemes; the snowdrop tree. Silver bush (Bot.), a shrubby leguminous plant (Anthyllis Barba-Jovis) of Southern Europe, having silvery foliage. Silver chub (Zo["o]l.), the fallfish. Silver eel. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The cutlass fish. (b) A pale variety of the common eel. Silver fir (Bot.), a coniferous tree (Abies pectinata) found in mountainous districts in the middle and south of Europe, where it often grows to the height of 100 or 150 feet. It yields Burgundy pitch and Strasburg turpentine. Silver foil, foil made of silver. Silver fox (Zo["o]l.), a variety of the common fox (Vulpes vulpes, variety argenteus) found in the northern parts of Asia, Europe, and America. Its fur is nearly black, with silvery tips, and is highly valued. Called also black fox, and silver-gray fox. Silver gar. (Zo["o]l.) See Billfish (a) . Silver grain (Bot.), the lines or narrow plates of cellular tissue which pass from the pith to the bark of an exogenous stem; the medullary rays. In the wood of the oak they are much larger than in that of the beech, maple, pine, cherry, etc. Silver grebe (Zo["o]l.), the red-throated diver. See Illust. under Diver. Silver hake (Zo["o]l.), the American whiting. Silver leaf, leaves or sheets made of silver beaten very thin. Silver lunge (Zo["o]l.), the namaycush. Silver moonfish.(Zo["o]l.) See Moonfish (b) . Silver moth (Zo["o]l.), a lepisma. Silver owl (Zo["o]l.), the barn owl. Silver perch (Zo["o]l.), the mademoiselle, 2. Silver pheasant (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of beautiful crested and long-tailed Asiatic pheasants, of the genus Euplocamus. They have the tail and more or less of the upper parts silvery white. The most common species (E. nychtemerus) is native of China. Silver plate, domestic utensils made of silver.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Silver Sil"ver, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Silvered; p. pr. & vb. n. Silvering.] 1. To cover with silver; to give a silvery appearance to by applying a metal of a silvery color; as, to silver a pin; to silver a glass mirror plate with an amalgam of tin and mercury. 2. To polish like silver; to impart a brightness to, like that of silver. And smiling calmness silvered o'er the deep. --Pope. 3. To make hoary, or white, like silver. His head was silvered o'er with age. --Gay.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Silver Sil"ver, v. i. To acquire a silvery color. [R.] The eastern sky began to silver and shine. --L. Wallace.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(silvers) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Silver is a valuable pale grey metal that is used for making jewellery and ornaments. ...a hand-crafted brooch made from silver. ...silver teaspoons. N-UNCOUNT: oft N n 2. Silver consists of coins that are made from silver or that look like silver. ...the basement where £150,000 in silver was buried. N-UNCOUNT 3. You can use silver to refer to all the things in a house that are made of silver, especially the cutlery and dishes. He beat the rugs and polished the silver. N-UNCOUNT: also the N 4. Silver is used to describe things that are shiny and pale grey in colour. He had thick silver hair which needed cutting. COLOUR 5. A silver is the same as a silver medal. Britain went on to take bronze and then followed it up by winning silver in the World Cup. N-VAR 6. born with a silver spoon in your mouth: see spoon

Easton's Bible Dictionary

used for a great variety of purposes, as may be judged from the frequent references to it in Scripture. It first appears in commerce in Gen. 13:2; 23:15, 16. It was largely employed for making vessels for the sanctuary in the wilderness (Ex. 26:19; 27:17; Num. 7:13, 19; 10:2). There is no record of its having been found in Syria or Palestine. It was brought in large quantities by foreign merchants from abroad, from Spain and India and other countries probably.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sil'-ver (keceph; argurion, arguros): Silver was known in the earliest historic times. Specimens of early Egyptian and Babylonian silver work testify to the skill of the ancient silversmiths. In Palestine, silver objects have been found antedating the occupation of the land by the Hebrews. This metal was used for making all kinds of ornamental objects. In the mound of Gezer were found bowls, vases, ladles, hairpins, rings and bracelets of silver. The rings and settings for scarabs or seals were commonly of this metal. The first mention of silver in the Bible is in Ge 13:2, where it says that Abraham was rich in cattle, in silver and gold. At that time it was commonly used in exchange in the form of bars or other shapes. Coins of that metal were of a much later date (Ge 20:16; 23:15; 24:53; 37:28, etc.). Booty was collected in silver (Jos 6:19); tribute was paid in the same (1Ki 15:19). It was also used for jewelry (Ge 44:2). The Children of Israel systematically despoiled the Egyptians of their silver before the exodus (Ex 3:22; 11:2; 12:35, etc.). Ex 20:23 implies that idols were made of it. It was largely used in the fittings of the tabernacle (Ex 26 ) and later of the temple (2Ch 2 ).

It is likely that the ancient supply of silver came from the mountains of Asia Minor where it is still found in abundance associated with lead as argentiferous galena, and with copper sulfide. The Turkish government mines this silver on shares with the natives. The Sinaitic peninsula probably also furnished some silver. Later Phoenician ships brought quantities of it from Greece and Spain. The Arabian sources are doubtful (2Ch 9:14). Although silver does not tarnish readily in the air, it does corrode badly in the limestone soil of Palestine and Syria. This probably partly accounts for the small number of objects of this metal found. On the site of the ancient jewelers' shops of Tyre the writer found objects of gold, bronze, lead, iron, but none of silver.

Figurative:

Silver to be as stones in Jerusalem (1Ki 10:27) typified great abundance (compare Job 3:15; 22:25; 27:16; also Isa 60:17; Zec 9:3). The trying of men's hearts was compared to the refining of silver (Ps 66:10; Isa 48:10). Yahweh's words were as pure as silver refined seven times (Ps 12:6). The gaining of understanding is better than the gaining of silver (Pr 3:14; compare Pr 8:19; 10:20; 16:16; 22:1; 25:11). Silver become dross denoted deterioration (Isa 1:22; Jer 6:30). Breast and arms of silver was interpreted by Daniel to mean the inferior kingdom to follow Nebuchadnezzar's (Da 2:32,39).

In the New Testament, reference should be made especially to Ac 19:24; Jas 5:3; Re 18:12.

James A. Patch

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Silvery, of silver, silvern. 2. White, bright, of the color of silver, silvery. 3. Soft and clear (as sound), mellifluous, euphonious, not harsh. 4. Gentle, quiet, peaceful, sweet.

Foolish Dictionary

A metallic form of opium, smoked by Presidential impossibilities.

Moby Thesaurus

A, Ag, Al, Am, Ar, As, At, Au, B, Be, Bi, C, Ca, Cb, Cd, Ce, Ciceronian, Cl, Cm, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Demosthenian, Demosthenic, Dy, E, Er, Es, Eu, F, Fe, Fm, Fr, Ga, Gd, Ge, H, Ha, He, Hf, Hg, Ho, I, In, Ir, K, Kr, La, Li, Lu, Lw, Md, Mg, Mn, Mo, Mv, N, Na, Nb, Nd, Ne, Ni, No, O, Os, P, Pa, Pb, Pd, Pm, Po, Pr, Pt, Pu, Quaker-colored, Ra, Rb, Re, Rf, Rh, Rn, Ru, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Tc, Te, Ti, Tl, Tm, Tullian, U, V, W, Yb, Zn, Zr, achroma, achromasia, achromatosis, acier, alabaster, albescence, albinism, albino, albinoism, aluminum, americium, and pence, antimony, argent, argentine, argon, arsenic, articulate, ashen, ashy, astatine, aureate, bar, barium, berkelium, beryllium, besnow, bismuth, blanch, bleach, blondness, boron, brass, brassy, brazen, bright, bromine, bronze, bronzy, bullion, burnished, cadmium, calcium, canescence, canescent, carbon, cash, cerium, cesium, chalk, chalkiness, chalky, chlorine, chromium, cinereous, cinerous, circulating medium, cobalt, coin gold, coin silver, coinage, coined liberty, cold cash, columbium, copper, coppery, creaminess, cretaceous, cupreous, cuprous, curium, currency, cutlery, dapple, dapple-gray, dappled, dappled-gray, dingy, dining utensils, dismal, dollars, dove-colored, dove-gray, dreary, driven snow, dulcet, dull, dusty, dysprosium, einsteinium, eloquent, emergency money, erbium, etiolate, euphonious, europium, facund, fairness, felicitous, fermium, ferrous, ferruginous, filthy lucre, flat silver, flatware, fleece, fleecy-white, flour, fluorine, foam, forks, fractional currency, francium, frost, frosted, frostiness, frosty, gadolinium, gallium, germanium, gilt, glaucescence, glaucescent, glaucous, glaucousness, gleaming, glib, gold, gold nugget, gold-filled, gold-plated, golden, gray, gray-black, gray-brown, gray-colored, gray-drab, gray-green, gray-spotted, gray-toned, gray-white, grayed, grayish, grey, griseous, grizzle, grizzled, grizzliness, grizzly, hahnium, hard cash, hard currency, helium, hoar, hoariness, hoary, hollow ware, holmium, hydrogen, indium, ingot, iodine, iridium, iron, iron-gray, ironlike, ivory, knives, krypton, lactescence, lactescent, lanthanum, lawrencium, lead, lead-gray, leaden, legal tender, leukoderma, lightness, lily, lily-white, lithium, livid, lucre, lustrous, lutetium, maggot, magnesium, mammon, managed currency, manganese, marble, medium of exchange, mellifluent, mellifluous, melodious, mendelevium, mercurial, mercurous, mercury, milk, milkiness, milky, mintage, molybdenum, money, mouse-colored, mouse-gray, mousy, musical, nacreous, necessity money, neodymium, neon, neptunium, nickel, nickelic, nickeline, niobium, nitrogen, niveous, nugget, osmium, oxygen, paleness, palladium, paper, pearl, pearl-gray, pearliness, pearly, pelf, pewter, pewtery, phosphorus, platinum, plutonium, polished, polonium, postage currency, postal currency, potassium, pounds, praseodymium, precious metals, pretty, promethium, protactinium, pure white, quicksilver, radium, radon, rhenium, rhodium, rubidium, ruthenium, sad, samarium, scandium, scrip, selenium, sheet, shillings, shining, shiny, silicon, silver plate, silver-gray, silver-plated, silver-toned, silver-tongued, silvered, silveriness, silverware, silvery, slate-colored, slaty, slick, smoke-gray, smoky, smooth, smooth-spoken, smooth-tongued, snow, snow-white, snowiness, snowy, sober, sodium, soft currency, somber, specie, spellbinding, spoons, stainless-steel ware, steel, steel-gray, steely, sterling, stone-colored, strontium, sulfur, swan, swan-white, sweet, tablespoon, tableware, tantalum, taupe, teaspoon, technetium, tellurium, terbium, thallium, the almighty dollar, the wherewith, the wherewithal, thulium, tin, tinny, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, vitiligo, well-spoken, white, white as snow, white race, whiten, whiteness, whitishness, wolfram, xenon, yellow stuff, ytterbium, yttrium, zinc, zirconium