STERLING
greatest, sterling, superlative
(adjective) highest in quality
sterling
(noun) British money; especially the pound sterling as the basic monetary unit of the UK
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Proper noun
Sterling
A Scottish surname, variant of Stirling.
An English surname, thought to be a variant of Starling.
A unisex given name from surnames.
A city, the county seat of Logan County, Colorado, United States.
Anagrams
• Giltners, Tinglers, glistren, ringlets, tinglers, tringles
Etymology
Noun
sterling (countable and uncountable, plural sterlings)
The currency of the United Kingdom; especially the pound.
Former British gold or silver coinage of a standard fineness: for gold 0.91666 and for silver 0.925.
• S. M. Leake
Sterling silver, or articles made from this material.
A structure of pilings that protects the piers of a bridge; a starling.
Adjective
sterling (comparative more sterling, superlative most sterling)
(not comparable) of, or relating to British currency, or the former British coinage.
(not comparable) of, relating to, or made from sterling silver.
Of acknowledged worth or influence; high quality; authoritative.
Genuine; true; pure; of great value or excellence.
Anagrams
• Giltners, Tinglers, glistren, ringlets, tinglers, tringles
Source: Wiktionary
Ster"ling, n. (Engin.)
Definition: Same as Starling, 3.
Ster"ling, n. Etym: [OE. sterlynge, starling, for easterling, LL.
esterlingus, probably from Easterling, once the popular name of
German trades in England, whose money was of the purest quality: cf.
MHG. sterlink a certain coin. Cf. East. "Certain merchants of
Norwaie, Denmarke, and of others those parties, called Ostomanni, or
(as in our vulgar language we tearme them), easterlings, because they
lie east in respect of us." Holinshed. "In the time of . . . King
Richard the First, monie coined in the east parts of Germanie began
to be of especiall request in England for the puritie thereof, and
was called Easterling monie, as all inhabitants of those parts were
called Easterlings, and shortly after some of that countrie, skillful
in mint matters and allaies, were sent for into this realme to bring
the coine to perfection; which since that time was called of them
sterling, for Easterling." Camden. "Four thousand pound of
sterlings." R. of Gloucester.]
1. Any English coin of standard value; coined money.
So that ye offer nobles or sterlings. Chaucer.
And Roman wealth in English sterling view. Arbuthnot.
2. A certain standard of quality or value for money.
Sterling was the known and approved standard in England, in all
probability, from the beginning of King Henry the Second's reign. S.
M. Leake.
Ster"ling, a.
1. Belonging to, or relating to, the standard British money of
account, or the British coinage; as, a pound sterling; a shilling
sterling; a penny sterling; -- now chiefly applied to the lawful
money of England; but sterling cost, sterling value, are used. "With
sterling money." Shak.
2. Genuine; pure; of excellent quality; conforming to the highest
standard; of full value; as, a work of sterling merit; a man of
sterling good sense.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition