silver

/ˈsɪlvər/

/ˈsɪlvə/

Other forms: silvered; silvers; silvering; silverly

The shiny precious metal that's used for jewelry, spoons and forks, and fancy candlesticks is silver. You can also use the word silver to describe things that are the same color as silver.

There are silver bracelets and silver coins, but also silver hair and a silver sky. The element known to scientists as Ag, or silver, is rare and valuable, and was once used to make money. Today many coins are silver in color, but they're usually made of nickel and copper. If you believe that every terrible event has a hopeful or encouraging aspect to it, you might say, "Every cloud has a silver lining."

Definitions of silver

1. noun

   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
   synonyms: Ag, atomic number 47

   types:

   coin silver

   a silver of the degree of purity established for making legal silver coins

   type of:

   noble metal

   any metal that is resistant to corrosion or oxidation

   conductor

   a substance that readily conducts e.g. electricity and heat
2. noun

   coins made of silver
   type of:

   precious metal

   any of the less common and valuable metals often used to make coins or jewelry
3. noun

   silverware eating utensils
   synonyms: flatware

   type of:

   silverware

   tableware made of silver or silver plate or pewter or stainless steel
4. adjective

   made from or largely consisting of silver
   “silver bracelets”

   synonyms:

   metal, metallic

   containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal
5. verb

   coat with a layer of silver or a silver amalgam
   “silver the necklace”

   type of:

   plate

   coat with a layer of metal
6. noun

   a light shade of grey
   synonyms: ash gray, ash grey, silver gray, silver grey

   type of:

   gray, grayness, grey, greyness

   a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
7. adjective

   of lustrous grey; covered with or tinged with the color of silver
   synonyms: argent, silverish, silvery

   achromatic, neutral

   having no hue
8. adjective

   having the white lustrous sheen of silver
   “a land of silver (or silvern) rivers where the salmon leap”

   synonyms: silvern, silvery

   bright

   emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
9. verb

   make silver in color
   “Her worries had silvered her hair”

   type of:

   color, color in, colorise, colorize, colour, colour in, colourise, colourize

   add color to
10. verb

    turn silver
    “The man's hair silvered very attractively”

    type of:

    color, colour, discolor, discolour

    change color, often in an undesired manner
11. noun

    a trophy made of silver (or having the appearance of silver) that is usually awarded for winning second place in a competition
    synonyms: silver medal

    type of:

    prize, trophy

    something given as a token of victory
12. adjective

    expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
    “silver speech”

    synonyms: eloquent, facile, fluent, silver-tongued, smooth-spoken

    articulate

    expressing yourself easily or characterized by clear expressive language