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gild

1
[ gild ]
/ gɪld /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR gild ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), gild·ed or gilt, gild·ing.

to coat with gold, gold leaf, or a gold-colored substance.
to give a bright, pleasing, or specious aspect to.
Archaic. to make red, as with blood.

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Idioms for gild

    gild the lily, to add unnecessary ornamentation, a special feature, etc., in an attempt to improve something that is already complete, satisfactory, or ideal: After that wonderful meal, serving a fancy dessert would be gilding the lily.

Origin of gild

1
1300–50; Middle English gilden,Old English -gyldan; akin to gold

OTHER WORDS FROM gild

gild·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby gild

Gilbertian, Gilbertine, Gilbert Islands, Gilbert's disease, Gil Blas, gild, Gilda, gilded, Gilded Age, gilded cage, gilder

Definition for gild (2 of 2)

gild2
[ gild ]
/ gɪld /

noun

guild.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to gild

bedeck, adorn, plate, varnish, whitewash, paint, deck, enrich, ornament, brighten, wash, beautify, coat, enhance, overlay, garnish, glitter, grace, embroider, tinsel

Example sentences from the Web for gild

British Dictionary definitions for gild (1 of 2)

gild1
/ (ɡɪld) /

verb gilds, gilding, gilded or gilt (ɡɪlt) (tr)

to cover with or as if with gold
gild the lily
  1. to adorn unnecessarily something already beautiful
  2. to praise someone inordinately
to give a falsely attractive or valuable appearance to
archaic to smear with blood

Derived forms of gild

gilder, noun

Word Origin for gild

Old English gyldan, from gold gold; related to Old Norse gylla, Middle High German vergülden

British Dictionary definitions for gild (2 of 2)

gild2
/ (ɡɪld) /

noun

a variant spelling of guild (def. 2)

Derived forms of gild

gildsman, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012