Silverware - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT silverware /ˌsɪlvərˈwɛər/ /ˈsɪlvəwɛə/ IPA guide

The tools you use to eat your food, including spoons, forks, and knives, are called silverware. Some silverware is actually made of silver, but silverware made of stainless steel is much more common these days.

If you're eating with a shiny plastic fork, don't call it silverware; call it plasticware. However, if you're eating with a stainless steel fork, you can get away with calling it silverware. Traditionally, fancy cutlery (or silverware) has been made of sterling silver. This is where the word silverware came from in the late 1800s. It's such a common term in the U.S. today that many people use it for knives, forks, spoons, and serving implements no matter what metal they're made of.

Definitions of silverware

noun tableware made of silver or silver plate or pewter or stainless steel see moresee less types: flatware, silver silverware eating utensils holloware, hollowware silverware serving dishes type of: tableware articles for use at the table (dishes and silverware and glassware)

Pronunciation US /ˌsɪlvərˈwɛər/ UK /ˈsɪlvəwɛə/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘silverware'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family 2 million people are mastering new words. Master a word

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