Silver \Sil"ver\ (s[i^]l"v[~e]r), 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.
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   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.
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   2. Coin made of silver; silver money.
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   3. Anything having the luster or appearance of silver.
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   4. The color of silver.
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   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.
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   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; -- also called fulminate of
          silver. 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.
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Ruby \Ru"by\, n.; pl. Rubies. [F. rubis (cf. Pr. robi), LL.
   rubinus, robinus, fr. L. rubeus red, reddish, akin to ruber.
   See Rouge, red.]
   1. (Min.) A precious stone of a carmine red color, sometimes
      verging to violet, or intermediate between carmine and
      hyacinth red. It is a red crystallized variety of
      corundum.
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   Note: Besides the true or Oriental ruby above defined, there
         are the balas ruby, or ruby spinel, a red variety of
         spinel, and the rock ruby, a red variety of garnet.
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               Of rubies, sapphires, and pearles white.
                                                  --Chaucer.
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   2. The color of a ruby; carmine red; a red tint.
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            The natural ruby of your cheeks.      --Shak.
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   3. That which has the color of the ruby, as red wine. Hence,
      a red blain or carbuncle.
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   4. (Print.) See Agate, n., 2. [Eng.]
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   5. (Zool.) Any species of South American humming birds of the
      genus Clytolaema. The males have a ruby-colored throat
      or breast.
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   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.
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