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the minerals argentite, proustite, pyrargyrite, ceragyrite, etc. Silver is one of the "noble" metals, so-called,
not being easily oxidized, and is used for coin, jewelry, plate, and a great variety of articles. Symbol Ag
Atomic weight 107.7. Specific gravity 10.5.
Silver was known under the name of luna to the ancients and also to the alchemists. Some of its compounds,
as the halogen salts, are remarkable for the effect of light upon them, and are used in photography.
2. Coin made of silver; silver money.
3. Anything having the luster or appearance of silver.
4. The color of silver.
Silver is used in the formation of many compounds of obvious meaning; as, silver-armed, silver-bright,
silver-buskined, silver-coated, silver-footed, silver-haired, silver-headed, silver-mantled, silver-plated,
silver-slippered, silver-sounding, silver-studded, silver-tongued, silver-white. See Silver, a.
Black silver (Min.), stephanite; — called also brittle silver ore, or brittle silver glance. — Fulminating
silver. (Chem.) (a) A black crystalline substance, Ag2O.(NH3)2, obtained by dissolving silver oxide in
aqua ammonia. When dry it explodes violently on the slightest percussion. (b) Silver fulminate, a white
crystalline substance, Ag2C2N2O2, obtained by adding alcohol to a solution of silver nitrate. When dry
it is violently explosive. — German silver. (Chem.) See under German. — Gray silver. (Min.)
See Freieslebenite. — Horn silver. (Min.) See Cerargyrite. — King's silver. (O. Eng. Law) See
Postfine. — Red silver, or Ruby silver. (Min.) See Proustite, and Pyrargyrite. — Silver beater,
one who beats silver into silver leaf or silver foil. — Silver glance, or Vitreous silver. (Min.) See
Argentine.
Silver
(Sil"ver), a.
1. Of or pertaining to silver; made of silver; as, silver leaf; a silver cup.
2. Resembling silver. Specifically: (a) Bright; resplendent; white. "Silver hair." Shak.
Others, on silver lakes and rivers, bathed
Their downy breast. Milton. (b) Precious; costly. (c) Giving a clear, ringing sound soft and clear. "Silver voices." Spenser. (d) Sweet; gentle; peaceful.
"Silver slumber." Spenser.
American silver fir (Bot.), the balsam fir. See under Balsam. — Silver age (Roman Lit.), the latter
part (a. d. 14-180) of the classical period of Latinity, — the time of writers of inferior purity of language,
as compared with those of the previous golden age, so-called. — Silver-bell tree (Bot.), an American
shrub or small tree (Halesia tetraptera) with white bell-shaped flowers in clusters or racemes; the snowdrop
tree. — Silver bush (Bot.), a shrubby leguminous plant (Anthyllis Barba- Jovis) of Southern Europe,
having silvery foliage. — Silver chub (Zoöl.), the fallfish. — Silver eel. (Zoöl.) (a) The cutlass fish.
(b) A pale variety of the common eel. — Silver fir (Bot.), a coniferous tree (Abies pectinata) found
in mountainous districts in the middle and south of Europe, where it often grows to the height of 100
or 150 feet. It yields Burgundy pitch and Strasburg turpentine. — Silver foil, foil made of silver. —
Silver fox (Zoöl.), a variety of the common fox (Vulpes vulpes, variety argenteus) found in the northern
parts of Asia, Europe, and America. Its fur is nearly black, with silvery tips, and is highly valued. Called
also black fox, and silver-gray fox. — Silver gar. (Zoöl.) See Billfish (a). — Silver grain (Bot.),
the lines or narrow plates of cellular tissue which pass from the pith to the bark of an exogenous stem; the
medullary rays. In the wood of the oak they are much larger than in that of the beech, maple, pine,
cherry, etc. — Silver grebe (Zoöl.), the red-throated diver. See Illust. under Diver. — Silver hake
(Zoöl.), the American whiting. — Silver leaf, leaves or sheets made of silver beaten very thin. — Silver
lunge (Zoöl.), the namaycush. — Silver moonfish.(Zoöl.) See Moonfish (b). — Silver moth (Zoöl.),
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