Golden Fleece

American

noun

Classical Mythology.

a fleece of pure gold, kept at Colchis by King Aeëtes from whom it was stolen by Jason and the Argonauts with the help of Aeëtes's daughter, Medea.

Golden Fleece British

noun

Greek myth the fleece of a winged ram that rescued Phrixus and brought him to Colchis, where he sacrificed it to Zeus. Phrixus gave the fleece to King Aeëtes who kept it in a sacred grove, whence Jason and the Argonauts stole it with the help of Aeëtes' daughter See also Phrixus

"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

Golden Fleece Cultural

In classical mythology, the pure gold fleece of a miraculous flying ram. Jason and the Argonauts made their voyage in quest of it. The fleece was kept in a kingdom on the Black Sea.

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.

It’s been a common name since that whole golden fleece thing in Greek mythology.

From Salon • Sep. 9, 2017

The one real golden fleece for us, and something we were always searching for, was really great men's platform shoes.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2016

Don Revie led out Leeds United in his "lucky blue suit", a garment more fabled in west Yorkshire than the golden fleece.

From The Guardian • Jul. 20, 2010

After five months of well-publicized creative difficulties for the show, this seeming paradox amounts to a theater world version of the golden fleece: the critic-proof smash.

From New York Times • Apr. 14, 2010

While he’s onstage he gets a phone call stating he’ll be inheriting his great-aunt’s golden fleece collection.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

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