Silverware

Americans often use the term “silverware” with casual, democratic optimism to refer to dining utensils of any material. Properly, the word defines any object fashioned from silver, Sheffield plate, or silver electroplate. Dining silverware includes the vast array of trays, tureens, candlesticks, centerpieces, and other table objects, which can be subdivided into the areas of hollowware (bowls and vases) and flatware (items made from a flat sheet of silver, especially forks and spoons). “Cutlery,” now used interchangeably with “flatware,” once signified only the items produced by the Cutler’s Guild, especially steel-bladed knives, but also scissors and other sharp objects. The American predilection to use “silverware” synonymously with “flatware” or “cutlery” bespeaks the enduring popularity and historical importance of silver at the table. Even in the ancient world, hosts awed their guests with impressive silver platters and elegant spoons. The metal’s decorative possibilities have been exploited ever since.