desilver

D2E1S1I1L1V4E1R1

verb

To remove the silver from (an alloy).

OriginEnglish silver ← Middle English silver ← Old English seolfor →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

verbdesilver (third-person singular simple present desilvers, present participle desilvering, simple past and past participle desilvered)

present singular third person desilvers · participle present desilvering · participle past desilvered · past desilvered

  1. transitiveTo remove the silver from (an alloy).
  2. transitiveTo remove the reflective backing from (a mirror).

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
desilverize

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latindē-
  6. Englishde-
  7. Proto-Germanic*silubrą
  8. Proto-West Germanic*silubr
  9. Old Englishseolfor
  10. Middle Englishsilver
  11. Englishsilver
  12. Englishdesilver

From de- + silver.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

silvered
Cite this entry
APA

desilver. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/desilver

MLA

“desilver.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/desilver. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “desilver,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/desilver.

Source: desilver on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.