Chemistry. a white, ductile metallic element, used for making mirrors, coins, ornaments, table utensils, photographic chemicals, conductors, etc. Ag; 107.870; 47; 10.5 at 20°C.
coin made of this metal; specie; money.
a handful of silver.
this metal as a commodity or considered as a currency standard.
table articles made of or plated with silver, including flatware and hollowware.
any flatware.
The kitchen silver is of stainless steel.
something resembling this metal in color, luster, etc.
a lustrous grayish white or whitish gray, or the color of the metal.
the silver of the leaves.
any of the silver halides used for photographic purposes, as silver bromide, silver chloride, or silver iodide.
consisting of, made of, or plated with silver.
of or relating to silver.
producing or yielding silver.
resembling silver; silvery.
the silver moon.
clear and soft.
silver sounds.
eloquent; persuasive.
a silver tongue.
urging the use of silver as a currency standard.
silver economists.
indicating the twenty-fifth event of a series, as a wedding anniversary.
having the color silver.
a silver dress.
to coat with silver or some silverlike substance.
to give a silvery color to.
a very ductile malleable brilliant greyish-white element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal. It occurs free and in argentite and other ores: used in jewellery, tableware, coinage, electrical contacts, and in electroplating. Its compounds are used in photography. Symbol: Ag; atomic no: 47; atomic wt: 107.8682; valency: 1 or 2; relative density: 10.50; melting pt: 961.93°C; boiling pt: 2163°C
( as modifier )
a silver coin
coin made of, or having the appearance of, this metal
cutlery, whether made of silver or not
any household articles made of silver
photog any of a number of silver compounds used either as photosensitive substances in emulsions or as sensitizers
a brilliant or light greyish-white colour
( as adjective )
silver hair
short for silver medal
well-articulated
silver speech
(prenominal) denoting the 25th in a series, esp an annual series
a silver wedding anniversary
(tr) to coat with silver or a silvery substance
to silver a spoon
to become or cause to become silvery in colour
to become or cause to become elderly
A soft, shiny, white metallic element that is found in many ores, especially together with copper, lead, and zinc. It conducts heat and electricity better than any other metal. Silver is used in photography and in making electrical circuits and conductors. Atomic number 47; atomic weight 107.868; melting point 960.8°C; boiling point 2,212°C; specific gravity 10.50; valence 1, 2.
See also sterling silver See Periodic Table See Note at element
First recorded before 900; Middle English (noun and adjective) silver(e), selver(e), selfer, Old English siolfor (originally a noun); cognate with German Silber, Old Norse silfr, Gothic silubr, akin to Serbo-Croatian srèbro, Russian serebró, Lithuanian sidãbras
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."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Safe-haven demand was higher, with both gold and silver edging up, suggesting investors remain wary.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
Gold imports, a chronic drain on foreign exchange, have become a fresh target, with the government sharply raising import duties on gold and silver to 15%.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
From the village of Malham we hiked to Malham Cove, which rose in near miraculous silver splendor among the sylvan greenery, and then ascended the nearly 500 steps to its top.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
—European indexes rose, recouping some of the prior session’s losses, with major moves in the mining sector on higher gold and silver prices.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
The band is a discolored leather, and the silver watch face is small and unimpressive.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
