sterling

¹ American  

[stur-ling] / ˈstɜr lɪŋ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or noting British money.

   The sterling equivalent is #5.50.

2. (of silver) having the standard fineness of 0.925.

3. made of silver of this fineness.

   a sterling teapot.

4. thoroughly excellent.

   a man of sterling worth.

   Synonyms:

   first-rate, worthy, honorable, noble

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noun

1. British currency.

2. the standard of fineness for gold and silver coin in the United Kingdom, 0.91666 for gold and 0.500 for silver.

3. Also called sterling silver.  silver having a fineness of 0.925, now used especially in the manufacture of table utensils, jewelry, etc.

4. manufactured articles of sterling silver.

5. sterling flatware.

Sterling ² American  

[stur-ling] / ˈstɜr lɪŋ /

noun

1. a city in NW Illinois.

2. a city in NE Colorado.

3. a male given name.

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sterling ¹ British  

/ ˈstɜːlɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. British money

      pound sterling

   2. ( as modifier )

      sterling reserves

2. the official standard of fineness of British coins: for gold 0.91666 and for silver 0.925

3. 1. short for sterling silver

   2. ( as modifier )

      a sterling bracelet

4. an article or articles manufactured from sterling silver

5. a former British silver penny

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adjective

1. (prenominal) genuine and reliable; first-class

   sterling quality

Sterling ² British  

/ ˈstɜːlɪŋ /

noun

1. Peter. born 1960, Australian rugby league player: played 18 matches for Australia (1982–88)

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Other Word Forms

• sterlingly adverb
• sterlingness noun

Etymology

Origin of sterling

1250–1300; Middle English: name of a silver coin ( star, -ling ¹ ), with reference to the little star on some of the mintages

Example Sentences

Concerns about debt sustainability have eased since November’s autumn budget, which included a series of fiscal tightening measures, allowing gilts and sterling to recover.

From The Wall Street Journal

Western, a Labour MP, said political parties should have to convert the donation to pounds sterling within 48 hours, and called for a ban on donations where the ultimate donor had been obscured.

From BBC

U.S. tech giant Alphabet issued 5.5 billion pounds in sterling bonds last week.

From The Wall Street Journal

The comment comes as U.S. tech giant Alphabet on Tuesday is selling a 100-year maturity sterling bond.

From The Wall Street Journal

After overwhelming demand for its $20 billion U.S. dollar bond issue Monday Alphabet sought to diversify its borrowing profile Tuesday by launching bond offerings in pounds sterling and Swiss franc.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• admirable
• excellent
• first-rate
• magnificent
• marvelous
• outstanding
• splendid
• stunning