- Sterling
- Sterling Ster"ling, n. [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.
[1913 Webster]
So that ye offer nobles or sterlings. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
And Roman wealth in English sterling view. --Arbuthnot. [1913 Webster]
2. A certain standard of quality or value for money. [1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
