silver

1 of 3

noun

sil·​ver ˈsil-vər How to pronounce silver (audio)
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

2 of 3

adjective

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

3 of 3

verb

silvered; silvering ˈsil-v(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce silver (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to cover with silver (as by electroplating)
b
: to coat with a substance (such as a metal) resembling silver
2
a
: to give a silvery luster to
b
: to make white like silver
silverer noun

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
Holmes’ makeup, meanwhile, consisted of light blush, pink lipstick and silver eyeshadow. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Maintain the health of your silver hue with these 7 shampoo recommendations and tips from a stylist. Essence, 4 Mar. 2024 Police said there had been a party at the residence and several people were in the front yard when a silver Kia pulled up. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Wearing nothing but leathery pants and a few pieces of silver jewelry, the Sin City figure allowed fans to get up close and personal with the star’s muscles and body ink. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 1 Mar. 2024 Sergio's Silver Mexican silver is a great trinket to bring home, and on Cozumel, Sergio's has the best selection of jewelry. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2024 Milwaukee police have issued a silver alert for a 73-year-old man, Carl J. Trotter, who went missing Friday morning. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Crisp beige canvas with leather trim is punctuated by the minimalist logo and shiny silver chain handles. Paula Lee, Glamour, 26 Feb. 2024 More than a hundred million watches were produced, and many survive to this day, while others were dismantled so their cases could be sold for gold or silver, leaving the mechanical innards as throwaways many considered worthless. Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
Adjective
You are plunged into this eerie twilight where the sky looks a purply, silver color. Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 The dark romantic teen drama celebrates its silver anniversary on Tuesday, and one of its stars, Sarah Michelle Gellar, is celebrating the movie's milestone birthday by sharing promotional images from the 1999 movie to Instagram. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Recently, famous beauties like Salma Hayek, Andie MacDowell, and Jennifer Aniston, for example, have been outspoken about accepting their silver strands, helping to change the perception of gray hair as an unflattering sign of aging. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 4 Mar. 2024 The man then got into the silver car and fled the scene, heading south. Adrienne Davis, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 Other notable items, in addition to the piano, included a silver Tiffany mustache comb that sold for £152,000, or $192,500. Emma Reynolds, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The Bear star styled acid-wash jeans with a silky cream blouse, silver heels and a chunky chain necklace. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024 Joseph came into the room, unprovoked, started an argument, unprovoked, and brandished a silver Taurus revolver. Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 16 Feb. 2024 In the Art Deco dining room, tables are set with white linens and silver napkin rings, blending bistro and bourgeois for the TikTok era. Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Verb
Meinhardt’s wife, Lee Kiefer, won gold in women’s foil, and Imboden’s girlfriend, Ysaora Thibus, helped France to silver in the women’s team. David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2021 Imboden’s partner, Ysaora Thibus, helped France to silver in the women’s team foil. Rachel Axon, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Aug. 2021 The United States' Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell rallied to silver with a score of 310.80 and Mexico's Gabriela Agundez Garcia and Alejandra Orozco Loza took bronze with a score of 299.70. Brian Munoz, USA TODAY, 29 July 2021 Her routine earlier in Tokyo earned her a score of 15.4, the highest anyone has received so far, and stepped up to lead Team USA to silver with an unexpected floor routine when teammate Simone Biles pulled out of competition. Angela Vang/st. Paul, Time, 28 July 2021 The inside surface of this object is silvered and 100% reflective (or as close to it as practically possible). Quanta Magazine, 1 Apr. 2020 These 400 silvered glass panels, tucked into the western edge of that hot, hot desert, are there to generate heat 15 times that amount. Laura Mallonee, Wired, 21 Jan. 2020 The grass was silvered with dew, the tears of Aurora, in Roman mythology, the goddess of dawn who wept each sunrise for her dead son, Memnon. Maureen Stanton, Longreads, 17 Jan. 2020 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, 8 Nov. 2012

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'silver.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English seolfor; akin to Old High German silbar silver, Lithuanian sidabras

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Dictionary Entries Near silver

Cite this Entry

“Silver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silver. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

silver

1 of 3 noun
sil·​ver ˈsil-vər How to pronounce silver (audio)
1
: a soft white metallic element that takes a high polish and is a better conductor of heat and electricity than any other substance see element
2
a
: coin made of silver
b
: articles (as tableware) made of or plated with silver
c
: tableware made of other metals (as stainless steel)
3
: a medium gray
4
: a silver medal awarded as the second prize in a competition

silver

2 of 3 adjective
1
: relating to, made of, or yielding silver
silver jewelry
silver ore
2

silver

3 of 3 verb
silvered; silvering ˈsilv-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce silver (audio)
: to coat with or as if with silver
silverer noun

Medical Definition

silver

noun
sil·​ver ˈsil-vər How to pronounce silver (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on silver

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!