Sil"van*ite (?), n. (Min.) See Sylvanite.
{ Sil"vas (?) or Sel"vas (?) }, n. pl. [L. silva a forest, Sp. selva.]
Vast woodland plains of South America.
Sil"vate (?), n. (Chem.) Same as Sylvate.
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. sölv, 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.
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.