ˈGerman ˈsilver
A white alloy consisting of nickel, zinc, and copper, originally obtained from an ore found at Hildburghausen.
1830 Mech. Mag. XIII. 96 The German silver..is now coming into vogue. 1851 Illustr. Catal. Gr. Exhib. 1052 A gun..in a case of rosewood, mounted in German silver. 1873 F. Jenkin Electr. & Magn. (1883) 200 The coils (of the differential galvanometer) are sometimes made of German silver instead of copper. |
attrib. 1870 Lowell Study Wind. 58 The beggars were a kind of German-silver aristocracy. |