white wiren.
/ˌwʌɪt ˈwʌɪə/, U.S. /ˈ(h)waɪt ˈwaɪ(ə)r/ Now historical.
Wire of a silvery colour; wire made of or covered with white metal.In early use probably iron wire coated with tin; cf. white iron n. 1.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > metal in specific state or form > [noun] > wire > types of
silver wire14..
white wire1463
virginal wire1662
pin-wire1674
binding wire1767
pinion wire1767
electric wire1819
music wire1823
gutta-percha-wire1876
No. eight1876
picture wire1876
number eight1952
microwire1953
plated wire1960
nanowire1990
1463–5 Rolls of Parl.: Edward IV (Electronic ed.) Parl. Apr. 1463 §22. m. 7 Cardes for wolle or whitewyre.
1587 L. Mascall Bk. Cattell: Hogges (1596) 274 Some doe ring them [sc. hogs] with red wyar..Others doe put rings of yron, some with horse nailes or strong white wyar, in the groine of their snoutes.
1678 London Gaz. No. 1302/1 No Iron Threed (commonly called White Wyer) nor Cards for Wooll, nor Card-Wyer, nor Iron-Wyer for making of Wooll-Cards, shall be Imported.
1772 T. Nugent tr. J. F. de Isla Hist. Friar Gerund II. v. vi. 339 Two scapularies ornamented with tinsel raised-work, and quills of white wire which looked like silver.
1806 European Mag. & London Rev. July 15/2 Blanch iron wire, commonly called white wire.
a1877 E. H. Knight Pract. Dict. Mech. III. 2788/2 Culinary and table utensils are extensively made from white wire.
1920 Trans. Liverpool Engin. Soc. 41 186 Blanche or white wire is..mentioned in a list of manufactures whose importation into England was prohibited by an Act of Edward III [sic] in the year 1463.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2015; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1463