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Silver
Silver is a chemical element with symbol Ag (from the Latin argentum, derived from the Proto-Indo-European h₂erǵ: “shiny” or “white”) and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. The metal is found in the Earth’s crust in the pure, free elemental form (“native silver”), as an alloy with gold and other metals, and in minerals such as argentite and chlorargyrite. Most silver is produced as a byproduct of copper, gold, lead, and zinc refining.
Silver has long been valued as a precious metal. Silver metal is used in many bullion coins, sometimes alongside gold: while it is more abundant than gold, it is much less abundant as a native metal. Its purity is typically measured on a per-mille basis; a 94%-pure alloy is described as “0.940 fine”. As one of the seven metals of antiquity, silver has had an enduring role in most human cultures.
Other than in currency and as an investment medium (coins and bullion), silver is used in solar panels, water filtration, jewellery, ornaments, high-value tableware and utensils (hence the term silverware), in electrical contacts and conductors, in specialized mirrors, window coatings, in catalysis of chemical reactions, as a colorant in stained glass and in specialised confectionery. Its compounds are used in photographic and X-ray film. Dilute solutions of silver nitrate and other silver compounds are used as disinfectants and microbiocides (oligodynamic effect), added to bandages and wound-dressings, catheters, and other medical instruments.
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Metallic (adjective)
Of, relating to{{,}} or characteristic of metal.
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Metallic (adjective)
Made of or containing metal.
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Metallic (adjective)
Harsh, as if coming from two metals striking one another.
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Metallic (noun)
A metallic color
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Silver (noun)
A lustrous, white, metallic element, atomic number 47, atomic weight 107.87, symbol Ag.
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Silver (noun)
Coins made from silver or any similar white metal.
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Silver (noun)
Cutlery and other eating utensils, whether silver or made from some other white metal.
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Silver (noun)
Any items made from silver or any other white metal.
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Silver (noun)
A shiny gray color.
“color panel|C0C0C0”
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Silver (noun)
Anything resembling silver; something shiny and white.
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Silver (adjective)
Made from silver.
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Silver (adjective)
Made from another white metal.
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Silver (adjective)
Having a color like silver: a shiny gray.
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Silver (adjective)
Denoting the twenty-fifth anniversary, especially of a wedding.
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Silver (adjective)
Premium, but inferior to gold.
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Silver (adjective)
Having the clear, musical tone of silver; soft and clear in sound.
“a silver-voiced young girl”
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Silver (verb)
To acquire a silvery colour.
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Silver (verb)
To cover with silver, or with a silvery metal.
“to silver a pin; to silver a glass mirror plate with an amalgam of tin and mercury”
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Silver (verb)
To polish like silver; to impart a brightness to, like that of silver.
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Silver (verb)
To make hoary, or white, like silver.
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Metallic (adjective)
relating to or resembling metal or metals
“metallic alloys”
“a curious metallic taste”
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Metallic (adjective)
(of sound) resembling that produced by metal objects striking each other; sharp and ringing
“the blade locked into place with a heavy metallic clunk”
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Metallic (adjective)
(of a person’s voice) emanating via an electronic medium
“a metallic voice rasped tinnily from a speaker”
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Metallic (adjective)
having the lustre of metal; iridescent
“a beautiful metallic green sports car”
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Metallic (noun)
a paint, fabric, or colour with a metallic sheen
“ultra-bright solid colours, pearls, metallics, and more”