silver-plated
Meaning
covered with a thin layer of silver
Structure
Usage
the cutlery set is made of stainless steel but is silver-plated for an elegant finish.
he collects vintage, silver-plated trophies from the early 20th century.
over time, the silver-plated coating on the old mirror began to tarnish and flake off.
Etymology
the compound 'silver-plated' is a modern english formation that transparently describes a manufacturing process. the first element, 'silver', originates from the old english 'seolfor', a term for the precious metal with a proto-germanic ancestor. the second element, 'plated', derives from the verb 'to plate', which entered english via old french from a vulgar latin term for a flat sheet of metal. when combined, the term literally means 'covered with a layer of silver,' directly linking the ancient material to the industrial technique of electroplating or coating a base metal to give it the appearance and some properties of silver.
Analysis
- silver: from old english seolfor, of germanic origin; related to dutch zilver and german silber. functions as a noun used attributively to specify the material. - plated: from the verb plate, meaning to coat with a metal layer, derived from old french plat (a flat piece of metal), from vulgar latin plattus. the suffix -ed forms a past participle used as an adjective.