gilt

[gilt]

See more synonyms for gilt on Thesaurus.com

verb

a simple past tense and past participle of gild¹.

adjective

gilded.
gold in color; golden.

noun

the thin layer of gold or other material applied in gilding.
gilt-edged security.

Can be confusedgild gilt guild guilt

gilt

[gilt]

noun

a young female swine, especially one that has not produced a litter.

Origin of gilt

1300–50; Middle English gilte < Old Norse gylta

gild

[gild]

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.

Idioms

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

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

Related formsgild·a·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for gilt

golden, gaudy, painted, sparkling, gleaming, lustrous, alloyed, tinsel, plated, overlaid, meretricious, shiny, showy, specious

Examples from the Web for gilt

Contemporary Examples of gilt

There was no mistaking this for the gaudiness and gilt of made-for-TV awards shows.
Streetwear pioneer, visionary entrepreneur, and community mentor Daymond John is honored with Hennessy Privilege Award
Hennessy
January 1, 2015
While sites like Gilt may carry many of the same marquee designers, so far, their bargains have not been comparable.
RIP Loehmann’s: Another Nail in the Coffin for America’s Middle Class
Keli Goff
February 24, 2014
Ruth Reichl recently took on the role of editorial adviser at Gilt Taste.
What Women Drink
Sophie Menin
August 22, 2011
Susan LyneChairman, Gilt Groupe Susan Lyne serves as Chairman of Gilt Groupe.
Participants in the 2011 Women in the World Summit
The Daily Beast
March 1, 2011
Above a couch, the last supper is rendered in marble and mounted to the wall in a gilt frame.
Iraqi Christians Celebrate in Exile
Nathan Deuel
December 25, 2010

Historical Examples of gilt

On them were engraved in gilt letters, "The Peninsula" and "Waterloo."
The Autobiography of Sergeant William Lawrence
William Lawrence
Tris had on his best uniform––blue broadcloth and gilt buttons.
A Singer from the Sea
Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
Nice, slick-lookin' craft she was, too, all varnish and gilt gorgeousness.
The Depot Master
Joseph C. Lincoln
And I can believe in the gilt; the genuine part is what I am most doubtful of.
Cap'n Dan's Daughter
Joseph C. Lincoln
Yes, they are in gold; but let him believe that they are in gilt brass.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

British Dictionary definitions for gilt

gilt

verb

a past tense and past participle of gild 1

noun

gold or a substance simulating it, applied in gilding
another word for gilding (def. 1), gilding (def. 2)
superficial or false appearance of excellence; glamour
a gilt-edged security
take the gilt off the gingerbread to destroy the part of something that gives it its appeal

adjective

covered with or as if with gold or gilt; gilded

gilt

noun

a young female pig, esp one that has not had a litter

Word Origin for gilt

C15: from Old Norse gyltr; related to Old English gelte, Old High German gelza, Middle Low German gelte

gild

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 Formsgilder, noun

Word Origin for gild

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

gild

noun

a variant spelling of guild (def. 2)

Derived Formsgildsman, 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

Word Origin and History for gilt

adj.

c.1400, past participle of Middle English gilden, from Old English gyldan (see gild). Also used as a noun with a sense of "gilding" (early 15c.).

gild

Old English gyldan "to gild, to cover with a thin layer of gold," from Proto-Germanic *gulthianan (cf. Old Norse gylla "to gild," Old High German ubergulden "to cover with gold"), from *gulthan "gold" (see gold). Related: Gilded; gilding. Figuratively from 1590s.