sterling

Etymology

From Middle English sterling, sterlinge, sterlynge, starling, of uncertain origin. Possibly from sterling (“starling”) (the bird), which at one time was stamped in quarters on the coin; or perhaps from Middle English sterre (“star”) + -ling (as in shilling), as some Norman coins presumably featured stars on them. For the UK currency gloss, the term is a contraction of esterling, referring to eastern merchants from Baltic towns who established a bullion weight standard for transactions. (Taylor and Palmer, 1968)

noun

1. The currency of the United Kingdom; especially the pound.
   … among the objects stolen was the famous parure of Black Diamonds, for which a bid of half a million sterling had just been made and accepted. […] 1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, chapter 1, in Who Stole the Black Diamonds ?
2. Former British gold or silver coinage of a standard fineness: for gold 0.91666 and for silver 0.925.
   Sterling was the known and approved standard in England, in all probability, from the beginning of King Henry the Second's reign. 1793, Stephen Martin Leake, An Historical Account of English Money from the Conquest to the Present Time
3. Sterling silver, or articles made from this material.
4. A structure of pilings that protects the piers of a bridge; a starling.

adj

1. (not comparable) Of, or relating to British currency, or the former British coinage.
2. (not comparable) Of, relating to, or made from sterling silver.
3. Of acknowledged worth or influence; high quality; authoritative.
   Then the world seemed none so bad / And I myself a sterling lad 1896, A. E. Housman, “Terence, this is stupid stuff”, in A Shropshire Lad
   Southampton had been hoping to get back to winning ways to prove to their critics there was substance to their sterling start to the season. December 13, 2014, Mandeep Sanghera, “Burnley 1-0 Southampton”, in BBC Sport
4. Genuine; true; pure; of great value or excellence.
   I have said that Mr. Crawley was a stern, unpleasant man; and it certainly was so. The man must be made of very sterling stuff, whom continued and undeserved misfortune does not make unpleasant. 1861, Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage
   But Rodríguez says, “Neither the law nor the facts support Senator Grassley’s baseless allegations and extrapolated conclusions. It is disappointing that the senator and his staff continue to focus a politically motivated campaign on Ms. Abedin, who has been known her entire professional life for hard work, integrity, and her sterling reputation. It is people like Ms. Abedin whom we should all want in public service.” January 31 2016, “Is Huma Abedin Hillary Clinton’s Secret Weapon or Her Next Big Problem?”, in Vanity Fair, retrieved 2016-01-21
   HSTs continued to provide sterling service during these years, so much so that when Virgin and Midland Mainline brought their new wave of high-speed diesel electric multiple units … on stream, many preferred the ride and comfort of the vanquished to the ride and comfort of the vanquisher. October 6 2021, Greg Morse, “A need for speed and the drive for 125”, in RAIL, number 941, page 53