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gilt

GILT/ɡɪlt/

Pluralgilts (some meanings)

8 meanings of gilt

Practice

  1. 1
    noununcountable
    Gold-colored paint or covering used to make something look like real gold.

    Like gold-colored nail polish painted onto something cheap.

    The cheap frame was covered in gilt to look like real gold.

    Over the years, the gilt on the old clock began to flake off.

    Similargilding

    Note
  2. 2
    noununcountable
    A thin layer of real gold or other metal put onto a surface.

    Like a thin gold sticker pressed flat onto a surface.

    The dome was finished with gilt that shone like solid gold.

    Thin gilt edged each page of the old prayer book.

    Similargilding

    Note
  3. 3
    adjective
    Colored gold, or looking like shiny gold.

    The gilt letters on the cover caught the light.

    She wore a gilt brooch shaped like a leaf.

    Similargilded, golden, gold

    Note
  4. 4
    verb
    Past tense and past participle of gild. Gilded is the more common form today.

    The edges of the old Bible were gilt to make them shine.

    The church dome was gilt with thin gold leaf.

    Note
  5. 5
    nounUKcountable
    A safe bond from the British government that pays the buyer interest over time.

    Like lending money to the government and getting a little extra back, with almost no chance of losing it.

    Many pension funds keep part of their money in gilts.

    She bought a gilt because it pays steady interest with little risk.

    Note
  6. 6
    noundialectalUKcountable
    A young female pig that is old enough, or almost old enough, to have babies.

    Like a teenage pig, almost grown up but not yet a mother.

    The farmer kept three gilts to breed next spring.

    A healthy gilt will soon be ready to have her first litter.

    Note
  7. 7
    nounslanguncountable
    Money, especially cash you can spend.

    Like calling money 'cash'.

    He's got plenty of gilt to throw around these days.

    I'm short on gilt until payday.

    Similarcash, money, dough, dosh

    Note

Less common meaning

  1. 8
    nounobsoleteuncountable
    An object that is covered with gold.
    The parysh of Seint Powle in Norwiche. Thomas Blocke, George Wylson, Churchwardens. Have sold in plate, gylte and parcell gylte, to the summe of iiij ownce, every ownce at the price of iiijs. viijd.
    1864, “Returns of Church Goods in The Churches of the City of Norwich”, in Commission of 6 Edward VIHere, gylte means items covered with gold.
    Note

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–5, 7–8

This comes from the English word "gild," which means to cover something in gold.

Meaning 6

This comes from an old Norse word "gyltr."