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.
If you’re the type who likes to be ready at the drop of a hat, try any one of these all-inclusive picnic setups, which include plates, silverware, cups and even a wine opener.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 4, 2026
Having lost at the quarter-final stage of the Champions Cup to Toulon, Warriors were hoping to preserve their hopes of silverware against their South African visitors, who have finished as URC runners-up two years running.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
But after a long season, in which Shaw scooped up several individual accolades including the WSL Player of the Year and Golden Boot, she relished getting her hands on another piece of silverware.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
On top of that, she has allegedly appropriated their mother’s gold charm bracelet, the family silverware set, the coin collection and anything else she thinks she deserves.
From MarketWatch • May 25, 2026
Three waiters descended on the table, filling water glasses, adjusting silverware and plates.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
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.
