To remove silver or silver compounds from something, especially in industrial or chemical processes.
From 'de-' (removal prefix) + 'silver' (the metal, from Old English seolfor). This technical verb developed with industrial mining and refining in the Industrial Revolution.
Photography caused a desilver revolution—for over a century, photo labs were actually contaminating water with silver waste. Now they have to desilver wastewater before releasing it, turning old film chemicals into valuable silver recovery.
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