"silver tongue" meaning in English

See silver tongue in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˌsɪlvəˈtʌŋ/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˌsɪlvəɹˈtʌŋ/ [General-American] Audio: En-au-silver tongue.ogg Forms: silver tongues [plural]
Rhymes: -ʌŋ Etymology: From silver (adjective, noun) + tongue (noun). Sense 1 (“trait of being articulate and clever at speaking”) is probably from silver-tongued, which is attested earlier than the noun. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|silver|tongue|notext=1|pos1=adjective, noun|pos2=noun|type=endocentric}} silver (adjective, noun) + tongue (noun), {{langname|en}} English, {{senseno|en|speaking|uc=1}} Sense 1 Head templates: {{en-noun}} silver tongue (plural silver tongues)
  1. (idiomatic) The trait of being articulate and clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way. Tags: idiomatic Categories (topical): Talking Translations (trait of being articulate and clever at speaking): sujuvapuheisuus (Finnish), lipeväkielisyys (Finnish), língua afiada (Portuguese), златоу́ст (zlatoúst) [masculine] (Russian), pico de oro (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-silver_tongue-en-noun-en:speaking Disambiguation of Talking: 48 52 Disambiguation of 'trait of being articulate and clever at speaking': 94 6
  2. (US) The song sparrow (Melospiza melodia). Tags: US Categories (topical): Talking Categories (lifeform): New World sparrows
    Sense id: en-silver_tongue-en-noun-3xjW8HUa Disambiguation of Talking: 48 52 Disambiguation of New World sparrows: 10 90 Categories (other): American English, English endocentric compounds, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English endocentric compounds: 39 61 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 32 68 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 21 79 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 17 83 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 9 91 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 27 73 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 31 69 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 21 79 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 16 84
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms (bird): silver-tongue Related terms: silver-tongued
Disambiguation of 'bird': 0 0

Inflected forms

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "silver",
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        "type": "endocentric"
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      "expansion": "silver (adjective, noun) + tongue (noun)",
      "name": "compound"
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      "args": {
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        "2": "speaking",
        "uc": "1"
      },
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "From silver (adjective, noun) + tongue (noun). Sense 1 (“trait of being articulate and clever at speaking”) is probably from silver-tongued, which is attested earlier than the noun.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "silver tongues",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "silver tongue (plural silver tongues)",
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  "lang_code": "en",
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  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
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          "_dis": "48 52",
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          "orig": "en:Talking",
          "parents": [
            "Human behaviour",
            "Language",
            "Human",
            "Communication",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "ref": "1835, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], “The Festival”, in Rienzi, the Last of the Tribunes. […], volume II, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, book IV (The Triumph and the Pomp), pages 189–190:",
          "text": "[H]e passed into the saloon, where Nina presided; and here his fair person and silver tongue […",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
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        "The trait of being articulate and clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way."
      ],
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        [
          "trait",
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          "articulate",
          "articulate#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "clever",
          "clever"
        ],
        [
          "speaking",
          "speak#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "deceitful",
          "deceitful"
        ],
        [
          "way",
          "way#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) The trait of being articulate and clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:speaking"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "trait of being articulate and clever at speaking",
          "word": "sujuvapuheisuus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "trait of being articulate and clever at speaking",
          "word": "lipeväkielisyys"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "trait of being articulate and clever at speaking",
          "word": "língua afiada"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zlatoúst",
          "sense": "trait of being articulate and clever at speaking",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "златоу́ст"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "trait of being articulate and clever at speaking",
          "word": "pico de oro"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "39 61",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English endocentric compounds",
          "parents": [
            "Endocentric compounds",
            "Compound terms",
            "Terms by etymology"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 68",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 79",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 83",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 91",
          "kind": "other",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 73",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 69",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 79",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 84",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 90",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "New World sparrows",
          "orig": "en:New World sparrows",
          "parents": [
            "Perching birds",
            "Birds",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "48 52",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Talking",
          "orig": "en:Talking",
          "parents": [
            "Human behaviour",
            "Language",
            "Human",
            "Communication",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The song sparrow (Melospiza melodia)."
      ],
      "id": "en-silver_tongue-en-noun-3xjW8HUa",
      "links": [
        [
          "song sparrow",
          "song sparrow"
        ],
        [
          "Melospiza melodia",
          "Melospiza melodia#Translingual"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US) The song sparrow (Melospiza melodia)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌsɪlvəˈtʌŋ/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌsɪlvəɹˈtʌŋ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-silver tongue.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/00/En-au-silver_tongue.ogg/En-au-silver_tongue.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/En-au-silver_tongue.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌŋ"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "sense": "bird",
      "word": "silver-tongue"
    }
  ],
  "word": "silver tongue"
}
{
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    "English endocentric compounds",
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    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌŋ",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌŋ/3 syllables",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "en:New World sparrows",
    "en:Talking"
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        "2": "speaking",
        "uc": "1"
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      "expansion": "Sense 1",
      "name": "senseno"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From silver (adjective, noun) + tongue (noun). Sense 1 (“trait of being articulate and clever at speaking”) is probably from silver-tongued, which is attested earlier than the noun.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "silver tongues",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
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  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "silver tongue (plural silver tongues)",
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  "pos": "noun",
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      "word": "silver-tongued"
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        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
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          "ref": "1835, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], “The Festival”, in Rienzi, the Last of the Tribunes. […], volume II, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, book IV (The Triumph and the Pomp), pages 189–190:",
          "text": "[H]e passed into the saloon, where Nina presided; and here his fair person and silver tongue […",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The trait of being articulate and clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way."
      ],
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          "trait",
          "trait"
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          "articulate",
          "articulate#Adjective"
        ],
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          "clever",
          "clever"
        ],
        [
          "speaking",
          "speak#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "deceitful",
          "deceitful"
        ],
        [
          "way",
          "way#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) The trait of being articulate and clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:speaking"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
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      "glosses": [
        "The song sparrow (Melospiza melodia)."
      ],
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          "song sparrow",
          "song sparrow"
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        [
          "Melospiza melodia",
          "Melospiza melodia#Translingual"
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        "(US) The song sparrow (Melospiza melodia)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌsɪlvəˈtʌŋ/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌsɪlvəɹˈtʌŋ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-silver tongue.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/00/En-au-silver_tongue.ogg/En-au-silver_tongue.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/En-au-silver_tongue.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌŋ"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "bird",
      "word": "silver-tongue"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "trait of being articulate and clever at speaking",
      "word": "sujuvapuheisuus"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "trait of being articulate and clever at speaking",
      "word": "lipeväkielisyys"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "trait of being articulate and clever at speaking",
      "word": "lipeväkielisyys"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "trait of being articulate and clever at speaking",
      "word": "língua afiada"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zlatoúst",
      "sense": "trait of being articulate and clever at speaking",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "златоу́ст"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "trait of being articulate and clever at speaking",
      "word": "pico de oro"
    }
  ],
  "word": "silver tongue"
}

Download raw JSONL data for silver tongue meaning in English (3.8kB)

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  "path": [
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  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "silver tongue",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.