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silverware

American  
[sil-ver-wair] / ˈsɪl vərˌwɛər /

noun

  1. articles, especially eating and serving utensils, made of silver, silver-plated metals, stainless steel, etc.

silverware British  
/ ˈsɪlvəˌwɛə /

noun

  1. articles, esp tableware, made of or plated with silver

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of silverware

First recorded in 1780–90; silver + ware 1

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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.

The answer to that would be a resounding yes, but would it remain so if the cost of silverware was relegation from the top flight?

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Manchester City have been a thorn in Arsenal's side in their quest for silverware.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Yet there has been so much more than silverware that has made his time at Craven Park a success.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

That means a phone number that gets answered in fewer than 10 rings and food that arrives on a plate, with silverware, while it’s still warm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Liyana noticed another handsome young waiter watching her as he rolled silverware into white linen napkins and stacked them in a mound.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

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.