Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Meeting certain standard of quality or value; thoroughly excellent. 2. (n.) Same as Starling. 3. (n.) Any English coin of standard value; coined money. 4. (a.) Belonging to, or relating to, the standard British money of account, or the British coinage; as, a pound sterling; a shilling sterling; a penny sterling; -- now chiefly applied to the lawful money of England; but sterling cost, sterling value, are used. 5. (a.) Genuine; pure; of excellent quality; conforming to the highest standard; of full value; as, a work of sterling merit; a man of sterling good sense.

Multi-Version Concordance Sterling (1 Occurrence) 1 Corinthians 11:19 For there must of necessity be differences of opinion among you, in order that it may be plainly seen who are the men of sterling worth among you. (WEY)