silverware
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of silverware
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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.
I’m obsessed with cutlery, silverware, old china, porcelain and crystal glasses, like my Edwardian crystal ones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
The silverware that had been in the family for generations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
While that dry spell will draw empty stares from fans in Seattle, Pittsburgh or San Diego, it’s a fiasco for a franchise that’s won 27 of them and regards October silverware as its birthright.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Derek 'Rocky' Turner, Neil Fox MBE, Don Fox, Harold Poynton, Ken Rollin... all legends of the 1960s and an era when all the silverware found its way to WF1.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
I picked silverware from the utensil drawer and dumped it on the tablecloth.
From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon
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