Silver-plated describes metal that has been given a thin skin of silver. Underneath it is usually something cheaper, such as nickel or copper. A silver-plated spoon looks silver, and it stays that way while the coating holds, but it is not a silver spoon through and through. Shops and antique talk use the word a lot; it is a plain, slightly formal label, the kind you read on a box or hear from a seller. Though actually, people stretch “silver” in everyday speech and call the plated thing silver, as if the whole object were silver. That is how it looks on the table. A careful speaker, or a person talking about price and honesty, will still say silver-plated — because solid silver and a silver skin are not the same thing, and the skin can wear through.