Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

      Of rubies, sapphires, and pearles white.    --Chaucer.

   2. The color of a ruby; carmine red; a red tint.

            The natural ruby of your cheeks.      --Shak.

   3. That which has the color of the ruby, as red wine. Hence,
      a red blain or carbuncle.

   4. (Print.) See {Agate}, n., 2. [Eng.]

   5. (Zo["o]l.) Any species of South American humming birds of
      the genus {Clytol[ae]ma}. The males have a ruby-colored
      throat or breast.

   {Ruby of arsenic}, {Ruby of sulphur} (Chem.), a glassy
      substance of a red color and a variable composition, but
      always consisting chiefly of the disulphide of arsenic; --
      called also {ruby sulphur}.

   {Ruby of zinc} (Min.), zinc sulphide; the mineral zinc blende
      or sphalerite.

   {Ruby silver} (Min.), red silver. See under {Red}.

Silver \Sil"ver\, n. [OE. silver, selver, seolver, AS. seolfor,
   siolfur, siolufr, silofr, sylofr; akin to OS. silubar,
   OFries. selover, D. zilver, LG. sulver, OHG. silabar, silbar,
   G. silber, Icel. silfr, Sw. silfver, Dan. s["o]lv, Goth.
   silubr, Russ. serebro, Lith. sidabras; of unknown origin.]
   1. (Chem.) A soft white metallic element, sonorous, ductile,
      very malleable, and capable of a high degree of polish. It
      is found native, and also combined with sulphur, arsenic,
      antimony, chlorine, etc., in the minerals argentite,
      proustite, pyrargyrite, ceragyrite, etc. Silver is one of
      the ``noble'' metals, so-called, not being easily
      oxidized, and is used for coin, jewelry, plate, and a
      great variety of articles. Symbol Ag (Argentum). Atomic
      weight 107.7. Specific gravity 10.5.

   Note: Silver was known under the name of luna to the ancients
         and also to the alchemists. Some of its compounds, as
         the halogen salts, are remarkable for the effect of
         light upon them, and are used in photography.

   2. Coin made of silver; silver money.

   3. Anything having the luster or appearance of silver.

   4. The color of silver.

   Note: Silver is used in the formation of many compounds of
         obvious meaning; as, silver-armed, silver-bright,
         silver-buskined, silver-coated, silver-footed,
         silver-haired, silver-headed, silver-mantled,
         silver-plated, silver-slippered, silver-sounding,
         silver-studded, silver-tongued, silver-white. See
         {Silver}, a.

   {Black silver} (Min.), stephanite; -- called also {brittle
      silver ore}, or {brittle silver glance}.

   {Fulminating silver}. (Chem.)
      (a) A black crystalline substance, {Ag2O.(NH3)2}, obtained
          by dissolving silver oxide in aqua ammonia. When dry
          it explodes violently on the slightest percussion.
      (b) Silver fulminate, a white crystalline substance,
          {Ag2C2N2O2}, obtained by adding alcohol to a solution
          of silver nitrate. When dry it is violently explosive.
          

   {German silver}. (Chem.) See under {German}.

   {Gray silver}. (Min.) See {Freieslebenite}.

   {Horn silver}. (Min.) See {Cerargyrite}.

   {King's silver}. (O. Eng. Law) See {Postfine}.

   {Red silver}, or {Ruby silver}. (Min.) See {Proustite}, and
      {Pyrargyrite}.

   {Silver beater}, one who beats silver into silver leaf or
      silver foil.

   {Silver glance}, or {Vitreous silver}. (Min.) See
      {Argentine}.