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.
You probably knew Pep Guardiola's Manchester City won three League Cups on the bounce between 2018 and 2020 before adding a fourth in 2021 – but another side did the silverware hat-trick first.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
And Isak, who has 60 Premier League goals to his name, is determined to help bring silverware to Liverpool this year but insisted he is not someone who sets personal targets.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
The mother of The Times’ art critic chose to evacuate with some silverware and a Spanish shawl, “in case we needed to sell something.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
And he hasn’t won silverware of any kind since 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
He fumbled about for the silverware, found the knife and fork, and commenced eating.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
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.
