[ster.ling] n [ME, silver penny, prob. fr. (assumed) OE steorling, fr. OE steorra star + [1]-ling--more at star] (14c) 1: British money
2: sterling silver or articles of it
[2]sterling adj (15c) 1 a: of, relating to, or calculated in terms of British sterling b: payable in sterling
2. a of silver: having a fixed standard of purity usu. defined legally as represented by an alloy of 925 parts of silver with 75 parts of copper b: made of sterling silver
3: conforming to the highest standard "~ character" -- ster.ling.ly adv -- ster.ling.ness n