gold leaf

American

noun

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

gold leaf British

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

gold-leaf

adjective

Etymology

Origin of gold leaf

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

gold leaf

The model for this piece was Feuerman’s doctor, Holly F. Lofton, and her swim cap is gilded with 24-karat gold leaf.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026

This early-to-mid 19th century craft involves applying artwork, lettering and gold leaf backwards onto glass panes, as often seen in traditional pubs or shop fronts.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

Trump said Tuesday he had accepted Macron's offer of dinner at Versailles as the palace of the French Sun King Louis XIV is "not gold leaf" but the "real deal".

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Remember, it’s gold leaf: Below the gilding, the rest of the figure is made of bronze.

From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026

He looks like a painting, she thought, a Saint wrought in gold leaf on the walls of a church, born to wield a sword of fire.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023