pewter
pewter Lexical Profile
pewter Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A malleable metal alloy consisting primarily of tin, historically mixed with lead, but modernly combined with copper, antimony, or bismuth, traditionally used for tableware and decorative items.
"The antique dealer carefully polished the eighteenth-century pewter tankard."
Utensils, tableware, or decorative objects made of the alloy pewter.
"The dining hall was lined with wooden shelves displaying the family's collection of historic pewter."
A shade of dull, bluish or silvery gray, resembling the color of the metal.
"The sky turned a heavy pewter as the winter storm approached the coast."
• Rhymes for pewter
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'pewter', borrowed from Old French 'peautre', which is of uncertain origin but possibly related to the Italian 'peltro' and English 'spelter'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.