sterling
pronunciation
How to pronounce sterling in British English:
UK [ˈstɜ:lɪŋ]
How to pronounce sterling in American English:
US [ˈstɜrlɪŋ]
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- Noun:
- British money; especially the pound sterling as the basic monetary unit of the UK
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- Adjective:
- highest in quality
Word Origin
- sterling
- sterling: [13] Sterling ‘British money’ originated as a term for an English silver penny from the 13th to the 15th centuries. The first ones struck had the design of a small star on them – hence the name sterling (and its now defunct variant starling), literally ‘little star’. Two hundred and forty of such coins formed a unit of weight, known as a pound of sterlings. The earliest use of sterling as a general term for ‘English currency’ dates from the mid 16th century.=> star
- sterling (n.)
- c. 1300, "silver penny," probably from Middle English sterre (see star (n.)), according to OED "presumably" from the stars that appeared in the design of certain Norman coins, + diminutive suffix -ling. But starred coins were not especially common among Anglo-Saxon currency, and the stars on them tended to be small. The other theory [Kluge] is that it derives from Old French estedre "stater" (see stater). Sense broadened by 1560s to "money having the quality of the sterling," and c. 1600 to "English money in general." As an adjective from early 15c. From 1640s in general sense of "capable of standing a test" (as a sound coin would). A pound sterling was originally "a pound weight of sterlings," equal to about 240 of them.
Example
- 1. Even a sterling performer can be too expensive at a given moment .
- 2. Needless to say , scott is the sterling professor of political science at yale .
- 3. That prompted a further bout of sterling weakness .
- 4. The long saga of sterling and europe has also been unhelpful .
- 5. One chortled about ireland being " faithful to sterling " rather than the " more flighty euro " .