Silver

n. [A-S. silfor, sylfer, seolfer, O. Sax. silver, silubhar, silobar, silufar, O. Fries. selover, selver, selvir, silver, D. zilver, L. Ger. salver, Goth. silubr, O. H. Ger. silabar, silibar, silbar, N. H. Ger. silber, Icel. silfr, Sw. silfver, Dan. sölf, allied to Russ. serebro, Slav. srebro, Lith. sidabras, Bisc. cilarra.]

1Sense 1. (Min.) A soft, white, metallic element, very malleable and ductile, and capable of a high polish. It occurs pure in nature, and also in combination with sulphur, arsenic, &c., and with ores of lead, copper, and gold.

2Sense 2. Coin made of silver; silver money.

3Sense 3. Any thing having the luster or appearance of silver; a silvery substance.

Silver is used in the formation of many compounds of very obvious meaning; as, silver-armed, silver-bright, silver-buskined, silver-coated, silver-colored, silver-footed, silver-haired, silver-headed, silver-mantled, silver-quevered, silver-shedding, silver-slippered, silver-sounding, silver-streaming, silver-tongued, silver-white, silver-winged, and the like.

Black silver, a massive, compact, sectile mineral of an iron-black color, consisting of silver, antimony, and sulphur, and valuable as an ore;—called also brittle silver ore or brittle silver glance. Dana.—Fulminating silver (Chem.), an explosive compound, formed of the newly prepared oxide of silver combined with ammonia.—German silver. See GERMAN.—Gray silver, an ore of a light steel-gray, silver-white, also blackish lead-gray color, consisting of silver, lead, antimony, and sulphur; antimonial sulphuret of silver. Dana.—Horn silver, a semitranslucent ore of silver; the chloride of silver. Dana.—Native silver, a mineral of a silver-white color and metallic luster, occurring, usually, in filiform, reticulated, or arborescent forms, and consisting of silver, with some copper, gold, platinum, antimony, and other metals. It is sometimes found in large masses. Dana.—Ruby silver. See RED SILVER.—Silver-glance, a mineral of a blackish lead-gray color and metallic luster, consisting of the sulphuret of silver;—called also vitreous silver.

a. 1. Made of silver; as, a silver cup.

2Sense 2. Resembling silver; as, (a.) Bright; resplendent; white. “Shame to thy silver hair.” Shak. Others on silver lakes and rivers bathed / Their downy breast. Milton. (b.) Precious; costly. (c.) Giving a clear, ringing sound; soft and clear. “Silver voices.” Spenser. (d.) Sweet; gentle; peaceful. “Silver slumber.” Spenser.

[imp. & p. p. SILVERED; p. pr. & vb. n. SILVERING.]

1Sense 1. To cover with silver; as, to silver a pin or a dial-plate.

2Sense 2. To polish like silver; to cause to resemble silver; to make smooth and bright. “And smiling calmness silvered o’er the deep.” Pope.

3Sense 3. To make hoary, or white and shining like silver. His head was silvered o’er with age. Gay.