gold leaf

American  

noun

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

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gold leaf British  

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

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Other Word Forms

• gold-leaf
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of gold leaf

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

Carving the intricate statues, which are often adorned with bright paint and gold leaf, was an art he learned from his father as a teenager.

From Barron's • Jan. 19, 2026

Glasses of Champagne, truffles, gold leaf and caviar decorate the poached blue lobster and A5 Miyazaki beef tenderloin dishes here.

From Salon • Dec. 27, 2025

A priest took the documents and lightly tapped them against the statue, which was swathed in flowers and tucked behind three doorways framed in gold leaf carvings of Hindu gods.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 15, 2025

Then they repaired some of the tiles that had lost their enamel and gold leaf, making them look like black spots from down below.

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2024

The volume’s first run sold out in days, a handsome edition with Elijah Lander’s name in gold leaf.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead