sterling
/ˈstɜɹlɪŋ/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.13 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Short for sterling silver (“an alloy containing not less than 92.5 percent silver, the remainder usually being copper; articles made from this alloy collectively”).
Uncountable
noun
Former British gold or silver coinage of a standard fineness (0.91666 for gold and 0.925 for silver).
Uncountable
noun
Synonym of pennyweight (“a unit of mass equal to 24 grains, or ¹⁄₂₀ of a troy ounce”)
Countable; Obsolete
Example Sentences
- "Nummus […] is taken for braſſe pens, or els pieces of ſiluer of the valu of a dandiprat or i. d. ob. a pece or there about, ſo that yͤ thouſand peces wer moche about the ſomme of twentie nobles sterlynges [i.e., nobles of sterlings]."
- ""I do not fear your curses," said Philippe [Philip II of France]. "You have no right to pronounce them on the realm of France. Your words smell of English sterlings.""
- "In England sterlings and nobles were struck, both of them often counterfeited."
- "Ophe[lia]. He hath my Lord of late made many tenders / Of his affection to me. / […] / Pol[onius]. Marry I vvill teach you, thinke your ſelfe a babie / That you haue tane [taken] theſe tenders for true pay / VVhich are not ſterling, tender your ſelfe more dearely […]"
- "[D]rop the ten ſhillings into this Baſon; […] So, iſt right Iacke? iſt ſterling?"
- "By uſeful Obſervations he can tell / The ſacred Charms that in true Sterling dvvell."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈstɜɹlɪŋ/
- British English: /ˈstɜːlɪŋ/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in People.