Pewter Meaning
/ˈpjuːtə/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAn alloy of approximately 93–98% tin and 1–2% copper, and the balance of antimony.
nounAn alloy of tin and lead.
Sentence Examples
The antique vase was made of pewter.
She polished the pewter mug daily.
The antique mug was crafted from high quality pewter.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The museum displayed a rare ____ chalice from the medieval period in Europe.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The tavern served ale in traditional ____ mugs that had been used for over a hundred years.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English peutre, from Old French peautre, from Vulgar Latin *peltrum (“pewter”), which is of uncertain origin. Possibly related to spelter.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"the pewter plates on the dresser
Caught and reflected the flame"
— 1847 November 1, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline, a Tale of Acadie, Boston, Mass.: William D. Ticknor & Company, →OCLC, (please specify either |part=I or II):
"The room was arranged by low wooden partitions into bays, where eight or ten men could sit together and rest their pewters and glasses on the narrow tables between."
— 1876, Edward Jenkins, The Devil's Chain, page 86:
"When ranged up, these were discovered to be the tumbler, the pannikin, and the cracked cup aforesaid, a pickle jar, a jam pot, and a battered pewter marked "Britannia Hotel," a diversity of receptacles that called for the highest mathematical skill in measuring out an exact quantity to each guest."
— 1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1932, page 26:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The museum displayed a rare ____ chalice from the medieval period in Europe.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The tavern served ale in traditional ____ mugs that had been used for over a hundred years.