silver

noun

sil·ver | \ ˈsil-vər

Definition of silver

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a very malleable metallic chemical element with atomic number 47 that is capable of a high degree of polish, has the highest thermal and electric conductivity of any substance, and that is used especially in jewelry and tableware, in electronics, and as an antimicrobial — see Chemical Elements Table

2 : silver as a commodity the value of silver has risen

3 : coin made of silver

4 : articles (such as hollowware or table flatware) made of or plated with silver also : similar articles and especially flatware of other metals (such as stainless steel)

5 : a nearly neutral slightly brownish medium gray

6 : coho

7 : a silver medal awarded as the second prize in a competition

silver

adjective

Definition of silver (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : made of silver

2 : resembling silver: such 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

silver

verb

silvered; silvering\ ˈsil-v(ə-)riŋ

Definition of silver (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : to cover with silver (as by electroplating)

b : to coat with a substance (such as a metal) resembling silver

2a : to give a silvery luster to

b : to make white like silver

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Synonyms for silver

Synonyms: Noun

flatware, silverware, tableware

Synonyms: Adjective

argentine, gray (also grey), grayish, leaden, pewter, silvery, slate, slaty (also slatey), steely

Examples of silver in a Sentence

Noun

a bracelet made of silver an artist who works in silver and gold a wooden statue inlaid with silver We need to polish the silver.

Adjective

a dress trimmed with silver ribbon a distinguished-looking gentleman with silver hair

Verb

The surface of the lake was silvered by the moonlight.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

With its black and silver color scheme, the Rev looks tough, with wide wheels for a more stable ride. — Time, "We Rode Boosted's New Rev Electric Scooter. Here's What it's Like," 11 July 2019 Showy Damascus steel with swirling patterns of black and silver, glimmering handles fashioned from mother of pearl. — Paul Stephen, ExpressNews.com, "Our guide to knives will give you an edge in the kitchen," 10 July 2019 On Tuesday, Beyoncé was joined by her daughter Blue Ivy as the pair stole the show in their matching black and silver ensembles at The Lion King premiere in Hollywood. — Joelle Goldstein, PEOPLE.com, "Twinning! Beyoncé Rocks Matching Sparkly Looks with Daughter Blue Ivy at The Lion King Premiere," 10 July 2019 He was last seen in Indian Land, South Carolina, behind the wheel of his 2016 silver Nissan Maxima with North Carolina plates. — David K. Li, NBC News, "Former XFL player Rod Smart, known as 'He Hate Me,' missing for almost a week," 18 June 2019 He is believed to be driving his silver 2016 Nissan Maxima with North Carolina tag PJR 1759. — CBS News, "Former XFL star "He Hate Me" reported missing in South Carolina," 18 June 2019 Harper allowed the search, and police found a black ski mask and a black and silver .380 pistol, police said. — Julian Gill, Houston Chronicle, "Prosecutor: Double amputee's shooting of father near Houston gym was random," 18 June 2019 The device comes in two colors, black or silver, and features a 0.95-inch AMOLED display; a 120mAh battery; 2MB of RAM; 32MB of storage; and pairs with phones over Bluetooth. — Ashley Carman, The Verge, "Samsung Galaxy Fit now available in the US," 14 June 2019 But not to worry: as of this week, her gold color way (and the rainbow, rose gold, black, silver, and leopard styles) are finally available again. — Eliza Huber, refinery29.com, "Sophie Turner's Vegas Wedding Shoes Are Officially Back In Stock," 7 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The building that houses the tomes has been here 25 years, and its silver anniversary Wednesday is being celebrated with a party that kicks off this weekend inside and outside the 71,000-square-foot civic hub at 1000 Avocado Ave. — Hillary Davis, latimes.com, "Newport Beach Central Library turns the page on its first 25 years," 6 July 2019 The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west. — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "R29 Binge Club: Stranger Things Season 3," 5 July 2019 The volunteer rescue treats turtles as big as 14-inch snapping turtles and as small as silver dollar-sized eastern box turtles. — Scottie Andrew And Nadeem Muaddi, CNN, "Sometimes, all it takes to save an injured turtle is a bra. No, seriously," 29 June 2019 For his eighth year designing a table, Byron James-Ariza went with a white and silver palette—and made sure to get in early, via a side door; a real veteran's knowledge. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "See How 32 Designers Transform a Dining Room in Just a Few Hours," 3 May 2019 Dressed in a black velvet cold shoulder gown with twin slits in the front, which was custom-designed by Nicolas Jebran, Bey sat next to her daughter, Blue Ivy, who wore all white and silver Mary Jane shoes. — Jillian Ruffo, PEOPLE.com, "Beyoncé Wears Sunglasses, a Hat and Truly Bonkers Diamond Earrings to the 2018 Grammy Awards," 28 Jan. 2018 The sleeveless, feminine number was covered with metallic beads, which matched perfectly with her silver jewelry, sandals, and tiara-like headband. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams Were Too Cute at the Game of Thrones Premiere in Belfast," 12 Apr. 2019 Fortunately, this is all well within Austin’s skill set, as the talented gearhead was born with a silver wrench in his mouth thanks to his family’s automotive salvage business, which has existed since 1920. — Eric Adams, Popular Mechanics, "How 'Shaft' Brought the 1971 Chevy Chevelle SS Into 2019," 14 June 2019 Thousands of the little silver fish emerge from the ocean to spawn at various Southern California beaches during the highest tides from as early as March to as late as August, though April through June tends to be the most active period. — Daily Pilot Staff, latimes.com, "Around Town: Heroes Hall event to celebrate Army’s 244th anniversary," 13 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

His silvered-mirror furniture from the '30s and '40s is all the rage today, but eight years ago this bed ended up in a sleepy sale at Sotheby's. — Frances Schultz, House Beautiful, "Inside Bunny Williams's Silvery, Shimmery Bedroom," 8 Nov. 2012 As the years silvered his hair, his decision to leave it undyed, rare among high-ranking cadres, marked him out as different, even a bit daring. — The Economist, "No ordinary ZhouZhou Xiaochuan, China’s central-bank chief, is about to retire," 1 Feb. 2018 For the color of rain and silvered rivers scribbled on distant hills. — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Loss And Affirmation: The Poems Of Julia Morris Paul," 18 July 2017 Today, my mischievous father is forever 54, with a head of brown hair, just silvered at the temples. — Special To The Denver Post, The Denver Post, "Mind’s Eye: On Father’s Day, I think of pranks," 14 June 2017 But the defining shot of last year's Finals and maybe of this NBA era was made by the Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving over Steph Curry in the last minute of the last game of last year's Finals, reducing the Warriors to silver medalists. — Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, "NBA Finals 2017: Golden State shoots down Cleveland Cavaliers again for 2-0 lead: Bill Livingston (photos)," 4 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'silver.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near silver

Statistics for silver

Last Updated

15 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for silver

The first known use of silver was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for silver

silver

noun

English Language Learners Definition of silver

(Entry 1 of 3)

: a soft grayish-white metal that is very valuable and is used to make jewelry, coins, knives, forks, etc.

: objects (such as knives, forks, teapots, candlesticks, etc.) that are made of or covered with silver

: coins that are made of silver

silver

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of silver (Entry 2 of 3)

: made of silver

: containing silver

: of or relating to silver

silver

verb

English Language Learners Definition of silver (Entry 3 of 3)

technical : to cover (something, such as a mirror) with a thin layer of silver or something that looks like silver

literary : to make (something) shine like silver

See the full definition for silver in the English Language Learners Dictionary

silver

noun

sil·ver | \ ˈsil-vər

Kids Definition of silver

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a soft white metallic chemical element that can be polished and is used for money, jewelry and ornaments, and table utensils

2 : coin made of silver

3 : silverware table silver

4 : a medal made of silver that is given to someone who wins second place in a contest

5 : a medium gray

silver

adjective

Kids Definition of silver (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : made of, coated with, or yielding the soft white metallic chemical element silver a silver teapot

2 : having the medium gray color of silver silver hair

silver

verb

silvered; silvering

Kids Definition of silver (Entry 3 of 3)

: to coat with or as if with silver Before us, the countryside unfolded, silvered by frost and moonlight.— Richard Peck, A Year Down Yonder

silver

noun

sil·ver | \ ˈsil-vər

Medical Definition of silver

: a white metallic element that is sonorous, ductile, very malleable, capable of a high degree of polish, and chiefly monovalent in compounds, and that has the highest thermal and electric conductivity of any substance —symbol Ag — see Chemical Elements Table