gold leaf

noun

1. gold in the form of very thin foil, as for gilding.

gold leaf

noun

1. very thin gold sheet with a thickness usually between 0.076 and 0.127 micrometre, produced by rolling or hammering gold and used for gilding woodwork, etc

Other Words From

• gold-leaf adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gold leaf¹

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

In a serendipitous link, a koi is the only representational element in a painting by Alessandra Ricci, whose mixed-media compositions contrast the materiality of gold leaf with abstract blooms of watery pigment at their centers.

From Washington Post

Obviously, I buy in bulk and I buy from a specialty gold leaf wholesaler on the West Coast.

From The Daily Beast

The gold of The Wilton Diptych is actual gold leaf, applied right on the painting.

From The Daily Beast

This tea caddy is rather splendid Much of the pottery is gilded in 22 carat gold leaf.

From The Daily Beast

His whole life is models, gold leaf and marble columns, but he still sounds like a know-it-all down at the OTB.

From The Daily Beast

For the current Turner exhibit, Wright has worked seductively in gold leaf.

From The Daily Beast

The experiments made in beating gold-leaf show that ten thousand leaves are contained in the thickness of a millimetre.

From Project Gutenberg

Much of it is covered with thin plates of real gold, and the rest, yards and yards of it, is plastered with gold-leaf.

From Project Gutenberg

And when they were all sewed on the jacket, he cut out a sword from the gold leaf and made hands and feet from the corn husk.

From Project Gutenberg

Doors and windows were shut against draughts, for he was working with gold-leaf on the tooling of an ancient binding.

From Project Gutenberg

Gold-leaf and silken hangings would not keep out the rain, and it was folly to spend time in making repairs.

From Project Gutenberg