gold

¹

[gohld]

noun

1. a precious yellow metallic element, highly malleable and ductile, and not subject to oxidation or corrosion. Au; 196.967; 79; 19.3 at 20°C.

2. a quantity of gold coins.

   to pay in gold.

3. a monetary standard based on this metal; gold standard.

4. money; wealth; riches.

5. something likened to this metal in brightness, preciousness, superiority, etc..

   a heart of gold.

6. a bright, metallic yellow color, sometimes tending toward brown.

7. gold medal.

8. Military.,  Gold, the code name for one of the five D-day invasion beaches, assaulted by British troops.

adjective

1. consisting of gold.

2. pertaining to gold.

3. like gold.

4. of the color of gold.

5. indicating the fiftieth event of a series, as a wedding anniversary.

6. (of an audio recording) having sold a minimum of 500,000 copies.

Gold

²

[gohld]

noun

1. Herbert, 1924–2023, U.S. novelist and short-story writer.

2. Thomas, 1920–2004, U.S. astronomer, born in Austria: formulated the steady-state theory of the universe.

Gold

³

[gohld, gawld]

noun

1. Nanay.

gold

¹

/ ɡəʊld /

noun

1. 1. a dense inert bright yellow element that is the most malleable and ductile metal, occurring in rocks and alluvial deposits: used as a monetary standard and in jewellery, dentistry, and plating. The radioisotope gold-198 ( radiogold ), with a half-life of 2.69 days, is used in radiotherapy. Symbol: Au; atomic no: 79; atomic wt: 196.96654; valency: 1 or 3; relative density: 19.3; melting pt: 1064.43°C; boiling pt: 2857°C

   2. ( as modifier )

      a gold mine

2. a coin or coins made of this metal

3. money; wealth

4. something precious, beautiful, etc, such as a noble nature (esp in the phrase heart of gold )

5. 1. a deep yellow colour, sometimes with a brownish tinge

   2. ( as adjective )

      a gold carpet

6. archery the bull's eye of a target, scoring nine points

7. short for gold medal

Gold

²

/ ɡəʊld /

noun

1. Thomas. 1920–2004, Austrian-born astronomer, working in England and the US: with Bondi and Hoyle he proposed the steady-state theory of the universe

gold

1. A soft, shiny, yellow element that is the most malleable of all the metals. It occurs in veins and in alluvial deposits. Because it is very durable, resistant to corrosion, and a good conductor of heat and electricity, gold is used as a plated coating on electrical and mechanical components. It is also an international monetary standard and is used in jewelry and for decoration. Atomic number 79; atomic weight 196.967; melting point 1,063.0°C; boiling point 2,966.0°C; specific gravity 19.32; valence 1, 3.

2. See Periodic Table See Note at element

Other Word Forms

• nongold noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of gold¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with German Gold, Gothic gulth; akin to Persian zar, Russian zóloto, Sanskrit híraṇya; yellow ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of gold¹

Old English gold; related to Old Norse gull, Gothic gulth, Old High German gold

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go gold,

   1. (of an audio recording) to attain sales of 500,000 copies or more.

   2. (of a video game) to complete the development cycle from production through quality assurance testing and enter the sales and shipping cycle.

      The game went gold in November and was on store shelves for the holiday season.

Example Sentences

The Olympic gold medalist became undisputed champion at cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight, where he outpointed Fury to become boxing's first undisputed champion in 25 years.

Read more on BBC

On Monday, Barrick announced it would explore an initial public offering of a subsidiary that would hold its premier North American gold assets.

Read more on Barron's

The Kremlin would also get the inside track on lucrative mining concessions in Sudan, the third-largest gold producer in Africa.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Prices have soared 99% this year, outpacing both gold and platinum.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

SolGold’s core asset, the Cascabel project in Ecuador, has a primary deposit containing copper, gold, and silver.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal