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goldilocks

[ gohl-dee-loks ]

/ ˈgoʊl diˌlɒks /

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Definition of goldilocks

noun, plural gold·i·locks.

(used with a singular verb) a person with golden hair.

adjective

(usually initial capital letter) not being extreme or not varying drastically between extremes, especially between hot and cold: a Goldilocks economy that is neither overheated nor too cold to cause a recession;a goldilocks planet such as Earth.See also Goldilocks zone.

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Origin of goldilocks

1540–50; obsolete goldy golden + lock² + -s³; from the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in which the golden-haired Goldilocks rejects uncomfortable extremes, as porridge that is too hot or too cold

Words nearby goldilocks

gold foil, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, gold, golden, Goldi, Goldie's fern, goldilocks, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”, Goldilocks zone, Golding, gold leaf, Goldman

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use goldilocks in a sentence

Guided by intuition and rough calculations, the team tested a range of hydrogen compounds searching for the goldilocks ratio of hydrogen.
Room-Temperature Superconductivity Achieved for the First Time|Charlie Wood|October 14, 2020|Quanta Magazine
She is not too hot or too cold, but just right, the Goldilocks of Fed chairs.
Janet Yellen Won’t Change the Fed|Russ Roberts|October 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This sort of calculation—not too hot, not too cold—is better left to Goldilocks.
Is Obama Going to War Just to ‘Check the Box’?|Lloyd Green|August 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It afforded the president the Goldilocks alternative in his next debate, where he can cast his attacks in just the right tone.
Joe Biden vs. Paul Ryan: the Yin and Yang Debate|Brett O’Donnell|October 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The Atlantic, 3,000 miles across, became a kind of Goldilocks Ocean, not too big and not too small.
Why the West Rules—For Now|Ian Morris|December 25, 2010|DAILY BEAST
This year, the theme was "Just Right," inspired loosely on the story of Goldilocks.
Live From Art Basel|Isabel Wilkinson|December 4, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Goldilocks wasn't there yet but the porridge was on the table in a big, a medium, and a tiny bowl.
Jerry's Charge Account|Hazel Hutchins Wilson
“It is pleasant to see any thing smile, even a flower,” said Goldilocks, laughing as she spoke.
Fairy Book|Sophie May
Ko-Ko and Goldilocks and Cinderella were coming out of the hall from the bedroom; he gathered them up and put them on the table.
Little Fuzzy|Henry Beam Piper
The Fuzzies were rising, sliding their chopper-diggers under the body of Goldilocks and lifting it on the steel shafts.
Little Fuzzy|Henry Beam Piper
He sat down and took Goldilocks on his lap; immediately Cinderella jumped up, also.
Little Fuzzy|Henry Beam Piper

British Dictionary definitions for goldilocks

goldilocks

/ (ˈɡəʊldɪˌlɒks) /

noun (functioning as singular)

a Eurasian plant, Aster linosyris (or Linosyris vulgaris), with clusters of small yellow flowers: family Asteraceae (composites)

a Eurasian ranunculaceous woodland plant, Ranunculus auricomus, with yellow flowersSee also buttercup

(sometimes capital) a person, esp a girl, with light blond hair

(modifier; sometimes capital) not prone to extremes of temperature, volatility, etca goldilocks planet; a goldilocks economy

Word Origin for goldilocks

(for sense 4): C20: from the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in which the heroine prefers the porridge that is neither too hot nor too cold

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