sterling

  

ster·ling

[stur-ling]
adjective
1.
of, pertaining 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.
noun
5.
British currency.
6.
the standard of fineness for gold and silver coin in the United Kingdom, 0.91666 for gold and 0.500 for silver.
7.
Also called sterling silver. silver having a fineness of 0.925, now used especially in the manufacture of table utensils, jewelry, etc.
8.
manufactured articles of sterling silver.
9.
sterling flatware.
00:10
Sterling is always a great word to know.
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the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
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Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English: name of a silver coin (see star, -ling1), with reference to the little star on some of the mintages

Related forms
ster·ling·ly, adverb
ster·ling·ness, noun

Synonyms
4. noble, honorable, worthy, first-rate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

Ster·ling

[stur-ling]
noun
1.
a city in NW Illinois.
2.
a city in NE Colorado.
3.
a male given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To sterling
Collins
World English Dictionary
sterling (ˈstɜːlɪŋ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a.  British money: pound sterling
 b.  (as modifier): sterling reserves
2.  the official standard of fineness of British coins: for gold 0.91666 and for silver 0.925
3.  a.  short for sterling silver
 b.  (as modifier): a sterling bracelet
4.  an article or articles manufactured from sterling silver
5.  a former British silver penny
 
—adj
6.  (prenominal) genuine and reliable; first-class: sterling quality
 
[C13: probably from Old English steorrastar + -ling1; referring to a small star on early Norman pennies; related to Old French esterlin]

Sterling (ˈstɜːlɪŋ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
Peter. born 1960, Australian rugby league player

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

sterling
c.1300, "silver penny," probably from M.E. sterre (see star), from the stars that appeared in the design of certain Norman coins, + dim. suffix -ling. The other theory is that it derives from O.Fr. estedre "stater" (see stater). Sense broadened
by 1565 to "money having the quality of the sterling," and in 1601 to "English money in general." A pound sterling was originally "a pound weight of sterlings," equal to about 240 of them.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

sterling

city, seat (1887) of Logan county, northeastern Colorado, U.S. It lies along the South Platte River at an elevation of 3,950 feet (1,204 metres). Laid out after the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1881, it was named after a town in Illinois. Now an important railroad division point, it is a marketing and shipping centre for an irrigated area supporting cattle, sugar beets, grain (wheat and corn [maize]), and dairy products. In 1950 oil was discovered in the surrounding Denver-Julesburg Basin, and Sterling became the headquarters for much of the related oil and natural-gas activities. The city's other industries include sugar refining, meat processing, and the manufacture of steel tanks, cinder blocks, and concrete. Sterling is the seat of Northeastern Junior College (1941). The Pawnee National Grassland is northeast. Inc. 1884. Pop. (1990) 10,362; (2000) 11,360

Learn more about Sterling with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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