silverware
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of silverware
Compare meaning
How does silverware compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The tools you use to eat your food, including spoons, forks, and knives, are called silverware. Some silverware is actually made of silver, but silverware made of stainless steel is much more common these days. If you're eating with a shiny plastic fork, don't call it silverware; call it plasticware. However, if you're eating with a stainless steel fork, you can get away with calling it silverware. Traditionally, fancy cutlery (or silverware) has been made of sterling silver. This is where the word silverware came from in the late 1800s. It's such a common term in the U.S. today that many people use it for knives, forks, spoons, and serving implements no matter what metal they're made of.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And he hasn’t won silverware of any kind since 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Mourinho, who has won 26 major honors, has not won a domestic league title in over a decade and has not won silverware of any kind since 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
PSG added to their silverware collection on Wednesday by beating Aston Villa 2-1 to win the Uefa Super Cup.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Predecessor Eddie Howe shared similar traits, of course, ending Newcastle's long wait for silverware by winning the EFL Cup in 2025 and qualifying for the Champions League twice.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
I opened the silverware drawer so I wouldn’t have to look Mom in the eye.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
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.
