german silver
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.57 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
3
Syllables
10
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Cupronickel, nickel silver; specifically the variety developed by 19th-century German metalworkers, an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc.
Uncountable
noun
Alternative letter-case form of German silver
Example Sentences
- "Mr. Briggs recommended plated medals, on German silver, as the best."
- "German silver is noted for its whiteness, lustre, brilliance, tenacity, and toughness, and its power of resisting chemical influences."
- "—Platinoid, the professor said solemnly, is preferred to German silver because it has a lower coefficient of resistance by changes of temperature."
- "Of these, unquestionably, the most popular are the German silvers, i.e., the alloys of nickel, copper, and zinc."
- "German silvers are also used in ornamental hardware, costume jewelry, valves, rivets, springs, and plumbing fixtures. A typical German silver contains about 66% copper, 17% nickel, and 17% zinc."
- "Between 1865 and 1880, the supply of German silver increased greatly, leading to an abundance of items manufactured from it and a decline in its value as a rare commodity. Southern Plains metalsmiths produced horse gear, pectorals and crosses, earrings, finger rings, other jewelry, and decorative objects with German silver."
Etymology
From its appearance and its development by 19th-century German metalworkers in imitation of the Chinese alloy known as paktong.