pewter

American  

[pyoo-ter] / ˈpju tər /

noun

• pewters
  plural

1. any of various alloys in which tin is the chief constituent, originally one of tin and lead.

2. a container or utensil made of such an alloy.

3. such utensils collectively.

   a revival of interest in pewter.

4. British Slang.

   1. a cup awarded as a prize or trophy, as in a sporting event.

   2. prize money.

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adjective

1. consisting or made of pewter.

   a pewter mug.

pewter British  

/ ˈpjuːtə /

noun

1. 1. any of various alloys containing tin (80–90 per cent), lead (10–20 per cent), and sometimes small amounts of other metals, such as copper and antimony

   2. ( as modifier )

      pewter ware

      a pewter tankard

2. 1. a bluish-grey colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      pewter tights

3. plate or kitchen utensils made from pewter

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pewterer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pewters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pewter

1325–75; Middle English pewtre < Middle French peutre < Vulgar Latin *piltrum; perhaps akin to spelter

Explanation

Pewter is a silver-colored metal that's been used for decorative objects and plates, cups, and bowls since ancient times. It was once common to use pewter to make lidded tankards for drinking and large cauldrons for cooking. Pewter is a metal alloy, which means it's a combination of several kinds of metal. There's always tin and copper in pewter, and it once commonly included lead, which we now know is dangerous for humans to consume. As a result, much antique pewter tableware isn't considered safe to use, although it's an attractive decoration. Pewter made today doesn't contain lead, but it's still most often used in candlesticks, picture frames, and other decorative objects.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pewter pewters

The person who catches the biggest fish goes home with an engraved pewter cup.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

He remembers two politicians who would eat together and regularly put in the same order: "Two working man's portions of your beef and two pewter mugs of your finest ales."

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2024

There was a claw-foot tub with pewter fixtures, a charmingly messy bookshelf window-seat, a kitchen painted a cool green.

From New York Times ● Feb. 4, 2024

Instead of pewter, Charrière employs polished stainless steel panels, the largest more than seven feet tall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2023

A photograph housed in a pewter frame and sitting on their dresser top, which was cluttered mostly with snapshots of me.

From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth

Pipe-racks of oak were screwed into the wainscoting under long shelves, well stored with pewters, glass tankards, punch-bowls, and tobacco-jars.

From Cardigan by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers

Then one of the customers made her laugh, and she let seven pewters fall, and they be battered outrageous.

From The Broom-Squire by S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

One of the houses bore a bush, and I saw two men peering at us through the open window, pewters in hand.

From The Maid-At-Arms by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers

Thereupon Sally put on her bonnet, leaving her pewters half scoured, and ran rather than walked to the village.

From The Story of Kennett by Bayard Taylor

"Oh, Carus, they sang it and sang it, hammering their pewters together, and roaring the chorus, and that last dreadful verse: "'Where is the soul of you, John O'Bail, Where is the soul you slew?

From The Reckoning by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers