Meaning & use
silverware
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Meanings
noununcountableAmerican
Knives, forks and spoons used for eating, whether or not they are actually made of silver.
Grammar: Uncountable: the silverware is in the drawer.
Patterns
- set the silverware
- silverware for something
Please set out the silverware before the guests arrive.
The silverware clattered into the sink.
He counted the silverware after the party.
noununcountable
Objects made of or covered with silver, such as trays, bowls and candlesticks.
Grammar: A mass noun: the family silverware.
Patterns
- polish the silverware
Grandmother polishes the silverware every December.
The museum has a collection of antique silverware.
Burglars took the jewelry and the silverware.
Common combinations
- polish silverware
- She spent the morning polishing silverware.
- set the silverware
- The kids set the silverware on the table.
- antique silverware
- Antique silverware can be very valuable.
- sterling silverware
- Their sterling silverware came from a great-aunt.
- silverware drawer
- The silverware drawer was jammed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cutlery
- This is the British word for knives, forks and spoons and is the more usual term there.
- flatware
- This is the American word for forks, knives and spoons, slightly more formal.
- tableware
- This is broader, because it also includes plates and glasses.
- plate
- In older British use, plate meant silver goods, but that is rare today.
Word family
Commonly confused: silverware or silverfish?
silverware vs silverfish
A silverfish is a small insect found in houses, not an item in a drawer.
Practice
Where would you most likely find silverware in a home?
Choose one answer.
Silverware means knives, forks and spoons, which are kept in the kitchen or dining room.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “silverware”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.