noun

1. an early English silver penny: a pound weight of these pennies was later standardized as a money of account
2. English money having the fineness of quality of the standard silver penny
3. sterling silver or articles made of it
4. the standard of fineness of legal British coinage: for silver, 0.500; for gold, 0.91666
5. British money

Etymology: ME sterlinge, Norman silver penny < OFr esterlin < Frank *esterling, dim. < VL istater < LL(Ec) stater, stater

adjective

1. of standard quality; specif., designating a silver alloy that is at least 92.5 percent pure silver
2. of or payable in British money
3. made of sterling silver
4. of genuinely high quality; excellent sterling principles