sterling meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

sterling

noun

UK /ˈstɜːlɪŋ/ · US /ˈstɜɹlɪŋ/

Etymology From Middle English sterling, possibly from Old English *steorling, from steorra (“star”) and -ling, in reference to the stars that appeared on certain English pennies. Alternatively, the first element may be *stēre, meaning “strong” or “stout” (compare the etymology of solidus).

8 senses

1An English silver penny first introduced by the Normans.
2A penny issued in other countries, such as Scotland.
3The currency of the United Kingdom, based on the pound…
4Short for sterling silver (“an alloy containing not less…
5Former British gold or silver coinage of a standard…
6Synonym of pennyweight (“a unit of mass equal to 24…
7Money generally.
8The standard degree of fineness.

An English silver penny first introduced by the Normans.

Obsolete except historical

Nummus […] is taken for braſſe pens, or els pieces of ſiluer of the valu of a dandiprat or i. d. ob. a pece or there about, ſo that yͤ thouſand peces wer moche about the ſomme of twentie nobles sterlynges [i.e., nobles of sterlings].1564 February, Erasmus, “The Saiynges of Augustus Caeser”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., Apophthegmes, that is to Saie, Prompte, Quicke, Wittie and Sentẽcious Saiynges, […], London: […] Ihon Kingston, →OCLC, book II, folio 178, recto, paragraph 38, marginal note:
"I do not fear your curses," said Philippe [Philip II of France]. "You have no right to pronounce them on the realm of France. Your words smell of English sterlings."1868, Charlotte M[ary] Yonge, “Cameo XXIII. The Rebellious Eaglets.”, in Cameos from English History: From Rollo to Edward II […], London: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 103:

1 more example

In England sterlings and nobles were struck, both of them often counterfeited.1911, August Octav Ritter von Loehr, “Numismatics”, in Charles G[eorge] Herbermann [et al.], editors, The Catholic Encyclopedia […], volume XI, New York, N.Y.: Robert Appleton Company, →OCLC, page 155, column 2:

Broadly A penny issued in other countries, such as Scotland.

Broadly The currency of the United Kingdom, based on the pound sterling; hence, genuine English or British currency, as contrasted with foreign currency.

Ophe[lia]. He hath my Lord of late made many tenders / Of his affection to me. / […] / Pol[onius]. Marry I vvill teach you, thinke your ſelfe a babie / That you haue tane [taken] theſe tenders for true pay / VVhich are not ſterling, tender your ſelfe more dearely […]c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], signature [C4], verso:
[D]rop the ten ſhillings into this Baſon; […] So, iſt right Iacke? iſt ſterling?1601 (first performance), Thomas Dekker, Satiro-mastix. Or The Untrussing of the Humorous Poet. […], London: […] [Edward Allde] for Edward White, […], published 1602, →OCLC, signature D2, recto:

3 more examples

By uſeful Obſervations he can tell / The ſacred Charms that in true Sterling dvvell.1699, [Samuel Garth], “Canto II”, in The Dispensary; a Poem, London: […] John Nutt […], →OCLC, page 18:
[T]he Tenants are obliged by their Leaſes to pay Sterling vvhich is Lavvful Current Money of England, […]1724 March, M. B. [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], A Letter to the Shop-keepers, Tradesmen, Farmers, and Common-people of Ireland, Concerning the Brass Half-pence Coined by Mr. Woods, with a Design to have Them Pass in this Kingdom. […], Dublin: […] J[ohn] Harding […], →OCLC, page 9:
[A]mong the objects stolen was the famous parure of Black Diamonds, for which a bid of half a million sterling had just been made and accepted.1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “Who Stole the Black Diamonds?”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC, section 1; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:

Abbreviation, Broadly Short for sterling silver (“an alloy containing not less than 92.5 percent silver, the remainder usually being copper; articles made from this alloy collectively”).

Many of the women cleaned house for other women, soaping fine china and polishing heavy sterling, […]1977, Ed McBain [pseudonym; Evan Hunter], chapter 4, in Long Time No See […], new edition, London: Coronet Books, published 1994, →ISBN, page 59:

Broadly, Historical Former British gold or silver coinage of a standard fineness (0.91666 for gold and 0.925 for silver).

[…] Sterling vvas the knovvn and approved Standard in England, in all Probability, from the Beginning of King Henry the Second's Reign. But King John vvas undoubtedly the firſt vvho introduced Sterling Money in Ireland.1745, Stephen Martin Leake, “John, A.D. 1199”, in An Historical Account of English Money, from the Conquest, to the Present Time; […], 2nd edition, London: […] W. Meadows, […], →OCLC, page 62:

Broadly, Obsolete Synonym of pennyweight (“a unit of mass equal to 24 grains, or ¹⁄₂₀ of a troy ounce”)

[E]ight of them [carats] make but one Sterlin, and a Sterlin is the 24 part of an ounce.1611, Randle Cotgrave, compiler, “Carat”, in A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, signature O ij, verso, column 1:

Broadly, Obsolete Money generally.

Broadly, Obsolete The standard degree of fineness.

[T]he Lavv hath not left it in the Povver of the Prerogative to compel the Subject to take any Money, beſide Gold and Silver of the Right Sterling and Standard.1724 August 15 (Gregorian calendar), M. B. [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], A Letter to Mr. Harding the Printer, upon the Occasion of a Paragraph in his News-paper of Aug. 1st. Relating to Mr. Wood’s Half-pence. […], Dublin: […] J[ohn] Harding […], →OCLC, page 6:

Derived terms: Eurosterling, penny sterling, pound sterling

sterling

adj

Usually Of or relating to the currency of the United Kingdom, or former types of English or British coinage.

[…] King William [the Lion] vvas to pay 100000. l. [pound] Striueling for his ranſome, the one half in preſent coin, the other 50000 l. vpon time.1611, Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed], “Henrie the Second, Duke of Normandy, Guyen and Aquitaine, […]”, in The History of Great Britaine under the Conquests of yͤ Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], London: […] William Hall and John Beale, for John Sudbury and George Humble, […], →OCLC, book IX ([Englands Monarchs] […]), paragraph 80, page 467, column 1:
The Salaries of all the great Officers of this State, are very ſmall: I have already mentioned that of a Burgomaſter's of Amſterdam to be about fifty pounds ſterling a year: […]1673, William Temple, “Of Their Government”, in Observations upon the United Provinces of the Netherlands, London: […] A[nne] Maxwell for Sa[muel] Gellibrand […], →OCLC, page 108:

3 more examples

Sir Arthur only stipulated, that a little ragged boy, for the guerdon of one penny sterling, should run to meet his coachman, and turn his equipage back to Knockwinnock.1816, [Walter Scott], chapter VII, in The Antiquary. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, pages 147–148:
The doctrine of the Old Testament is the religion of England. […] It believes in a Providence which does not treat with levity a pound sterling.1856, R[alph] W[aldo] Emerson, “Religion”, in English Traits, Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson, and Company, →OCLC, page 225:
In the first place, schemes of partial international co-ordination can be arranged between such governments as can agree upon them. This has already been done in the case of the Sterling Bloc, which is composed of countries whose rulers have decided that it is worth while to co-ordinate their separate national plans so that they shall not interfere with each other.1937, Aldous Huxley, “The Planned Society”, in Ends and Means: An Inquiry into the Nature of Ideals and into the Methods Employed for Their Realization, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 41:

Usually Of silver: being of standard quality.

Usually Of a thing: of or relating to, or made from, sterling silver.

The ſterling mark upon plate, and the ſtamps upon linen and vvoollen cloth, give the purchaſer much greater ſecurity than any ſtatute of apprenticeſhip.1776 March 9, Adam Smith, “Of Wages and Profit in the Different Employments of Labour and Stock”, in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. […], volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, book I (Of the Causes of Improvement in the Productive Powers of Labour, […]), II (Inequalities Occasioned by the Policy of Europe), page 151:
[W]hat is baſe / No poliſh can make ſterling, […]1785, William Cowper, “Book VI. The Winter Walk at Noon.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, pages 281–282:

Archaic, Usually Of English (or (obsolete) Scottish) currency: genuine, of legal tender.

Pray thee peace, pay her the debt you ovve her, and vnpay the villany you haue done vvith her, the one you may doe vvith ſterling mony, and the other vvith currant repentance.c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], signature C2, verso:
[I]s this base annunciation a mere swindle on the incautious, to beguile them of their time, their patience, and three shillings of sterling money of this realm?1816, [Walter Scott], chapter I, in The Antiquary. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 14:

1 more example

Sumptuosity and sordidness; revenge, life-weariness, ambition, darkness, putrescence; and, say, in sterling money, three hundred thousand a year,—were this poor Prince once to burst loose from his Court-moorings, to what regions, with what phenomena, might he not sail and drift!1837, Thomas Carlyle, “The Notables”, in The French Revolution: A History […], volume I (The Bastille), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, book III (The Parliament of Paris), page 71:

Figuratively, Usually Of acknowledged influence; authoritative; also, of high or excellent quality; of proven worth.

[…] I knovv your Opinion is current and ſterling: […]1655, James Howell, “XLIV. To Sir L. D. in Paris.”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume IV, London: […] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, […], →OCLC, section VI, page 496:
This love, ſuppoſing it ſterling, I (ſtultus ego [I am foolish]!) return'd in kind: But I do not repent it.1755, [Edward Young], “Letter V. Life’s Review.”, in The Centaur Not Fabulous. […], London: […] A[ndrew] Millar […]; [a]nd R[obert] and J[ames] Dodsley […], →OCLC, page 238:

4 more examples

Then decent pleaſantry and ſterling ſenſe / That never gave nor vvould endure offence, / VVhipp'd out of ſight vvith ſatyr juſt and keen, / The puppy pack that had defil'd the ſcene.1781 (date written), William Cowper, “Table Talk”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1782, →OCLC, page 33:
The nephew, Manuel Molina, is a young man of sterling worth and Spanish gravity.1832, [Washington Irving], “The Household”, in The Alhambra: A Series of Tales and Sketches of the Moors and Spaniards. […], volume I, Philadelphia, Pa.: [Henry Charles] Carey & [Isaac] Lea, →OCLC, pages 75–76:
I have said that Mr. Crawley was a stern, unpleasant man; and it certainly was so. The man must be made of very sterling stuff, whom continued and undeserved misfortune does not make unpleasant.1860 January – 1861 April, Anthony Trollope, “Lady Lufton’s Ambassador”, in Framley Parsonage. […] (Collection of British Authors; 551), copyright edition, volume I, Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, published April 1861, →OCLC, page 219:
Then the world seemed none so bad, / And I myself a sterling lad; / And down in lovely muck I've lain, / Happy till I woke again.1896, A[lfred] E[dward] Housman, “[Poem] LXII”, in A Shropshire Lad, New York, N.Y.: John Lane Company, The Bodley Head, published 1906, →OCLC, stanza 2, page 92:

Figuratively, Obsolete, Usually Having currency (“general acceptance, recognition, or use”).

This waie of exerciſe was […] made ſterling agayne by M. Quintilian: […]a. 1569 (date written), Roger Ascham, “[The Second Booke Teachyng the Ready Way to the Latin Tong]”, in Margaret Ascham, editor, The Scholemaster: Or Plaine and Perfite Way of Teaching Children, to Vnderstand, Write, and Speake, the Latin Tong, […], London: […] John Daye, […], published 1570, →OCLC, folio 35, verso:
And if my vvord be Sterling yet in England, / Let it command a Mirror hither ſtraight, / That it may ſhevv me vvhat a Face I haue, / Since it is Bankrupt of his Maieſtie.1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 40:

Derived terms: sterlingly, sterlingness

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.