silver
UK[ˈsɪlvə]US[ˈsɪlvər]
n
a precious shiny greyish-white metal, the chemical element of atomic number 47
n
coins, articles, or cutlery made of or looking like this metal
n
the colour of silver
adj
made of or coloured like silver
Etymology
the word "silver" has a long and stable history within the germanic language family, with its old english form 'seolfor' showing clear kinship to its modern german and dutch counterparts. its journey beyond germanic is obscure, though scholars often trace it back to a proposed proto-indo-european root h₂erǵ-, meaning "white, shining," which also gave rise to the latin 'argentum'. the logic of its meaning is direct and enduring, moving from the name of the precious metal itself to describe its characteristic colour, luster, and objects made from it. this path from a specific material to its associated qualities exemplifies a common semantic evolution.
Analysis
the word is a simplex. it is a loanword from old english 'seolfor' or 'siolfor', which is of germanic origin, related to dutch 'zilver' and german 'silber'. the ultimate origin is uncertain but may be from an ancient middle eastern source.
Examples
the ancient vase was crafted from pure silver.
she paid for the book with a handful of silver.
the moonlight cast a silver glow on the lake.