sterling

[ stur-ling ]
See synonyms for sterling on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. made of silver of this fineness: a sterling teapot.

  2. thoroughly excellent: a man of sterling worth.

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.

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

  2. manufactured articles of sterling silver.

  3. sterling flatware.

Origin of sterling

1
1250–1300; Middle English: name of a silver coin (see star, -ling1), with reference to the little star on some of the mintages

Other words for sterling

Other words from sterling

  • ster·ling·ly, adverb
  • ster·ling·ness, noun

Words Nearby sterling

Other definitions for Sterling (2 of 2)

Sterling
[ stur-ling ]

noun
  1. a city in NW Illinois.

  2. a city in NE Colorado.

  1. a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sterling in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sterling (1 of 2)

sterling

/ (ˈstɜːlɪŋ) /


noun
    • British money: pound sterling

    • (as modifier): sterling reserves

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

  1. an article or articles manufactured from sterling silver

  2. a former British silver penny

adjective
  1. (prenominal) genuine and reliable; first-class: sterling quality

Origin of sterling

1
C13: probably from Old English steorra star + -ling 1; referring to a small star on early Norman pennies; related to Old French esterlin

British Dictionary definitions for Sterling (2 of 2)

Sterling

/ (ˈstɜːlɪŋ) /


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

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