mass noun
1- British money英国货币：
prices in sterling are shown
价格以英国货币标示
as modifier issues of sterling bonds.英镑债券的发行。
1.1
- short for STERLING SILVER.STERLING SILVER的简称：
as modifier a sterling spoon.一把银匙。
- chiefly Brit. (of a person or their work, efforts, or qualities) excellent or valuable〈主英〉（人或其工作、努力或品质）极好的, 优秀的; 有价值的：
this organization does sterling work for youngsters.
这个组织为青少年提供优良的服务。
词源
Middle English: probably from steorra 'star' + -LING (because some early Norman pennies bore a small star). Until recently one popular theory was that the coin was originally made by Easterling moneyers （from the 'eastern' Hanse towns）, but the stressed first syllable would not have been dropped.