Silver bullet

noun, slang

noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A bullet made of silver, usually with reference to the folkloric belief that such bullets are the only weapons which can kill a werewolf, vampire, or other monster. literally
  2. 2
    a simple guaranteed solution for a difficult problem wordnet
  3. 3
    Any straightforward solution perceived to have great effectiveness or bring miraculous results. figuratively

    "There is no silver bullet for this problem. It will take hard work and long hours to fix."

  4. 4
    A classic dry martini cocktail. colloquial

    "The Martini is nicknamed “the silver bullet” because of its supposedly lethal properties."

  5. 5
    A thermometer, especially one used for rectal temperature readings. slang

    "[…] "the silver bullet"—a rectal thermometer, to ensure that their body core isn't dangerously overheated from the run."

Synonyms

All synonyms
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Example

More examples

"There is no silver bullet for this problem. It will take hard work and long hours to fix."

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