# gilt

Pronunciation: say "GILT" /ɡɪlt/

## Noun

1. A gold-colored paint or coating applied to a surface to imitate real gold.
   - Simple: Gold-colored paint or covering used to make something look like real gold.
   - _The restorer touched up the gilt along the edges of the picture frame._
   - _Flecks of gilt still clung to the carved lettering above the door._
2. A thin layer of gold or other metal applied to a surface; gilding.
   - Simple: A thin layer of real gold or other metal put onto a surface.
   - _The restorer applied fresh gilt of beaten gold to the altarpiece._
   - _Centuries of handling had worn the gilt from the manuscript's edges._
5. A bond issued by the British government, regarded as a low-risk, fixed-interest investment. *(UK)*
   - Simple: A safe bond from the British government that pays the buyer interest over time.
   - _Investors flocked to gilts as the stock market grew more volatile._
   - _The fund manager added a long-dated gilt to balance the portfolio._
6. A young female pig that is old enough, or almost old enough, for her first breeding. *(dialectal, UK)*
   - Simple: A young female pig that is old enough, or almost old enough, to have babies.
   - _The gilt was moved to a separate pen before farrowing._
   - _Breeders select gilts with strong frames and good temperaments._
7. Money; cash. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Money, especially cash you can spend.
   - _After the sale he had more gilt than he knew what to do with._
   - _They were always scrounging for a bit of gilt._

## Adjective

3. Golden in color; having the appearance of gold.
   - Simple: Colored gold, or looking like shiny gold.
   - _Gilt lettering ran across the spine of the leather volume._
   - _The ballroom's gilt moldings gleamed under the chandeliers._

## Verb

4. Past tense and past participle of gild. Less common than gilded, especially as a past tense. — simple past and past participle of gild
   - Simple: Past tense and past participle of gild. Gilded is the more common form today.
   - _The edges of each page were gilt by hand in the bindery._
   - _The old mirror had been gilt by a master's hand._

## Noun

8. An object covered with gold; a gilded thing. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: An object that is covered with gold.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–5, 7–8** — Formed in English from the verb "gild" (to cover in gold), related to "gold" and German "Geld."
**Meaning 6** — From Middle English "gilt" or "gylt," from Old Norse "gyltr"; compare "geld" and "yelt."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/gilt (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).