Gold

¹

[gohld, gawld]

noun

1. Nanay.

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]

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

¹

/ 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

²

/ 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

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

First, one must peel back its leathery skin, which, when ripe, is a beautiful shade of pinkish-red, sometimes with faint streaks of gold or light green.

From Salon

Wildfire in Northern California has scorched more than 12,000 acres as of Wednesday morning, burning homes in the Gold Rush town of Chinese Camp.

From Los Angeles Times

One destroyed multiple buildings in Chinese Camp, a historic gold mining town.

From Los Angeles Times

Kirk is pivoting to Britpop for an Oasis-heavy pre-party at Gold Diggers on Friday.

From Los Angeles Times

It was during this same period that the U.S. abolished the gold standard, which allowed the Federal Reserve to print more money than ever before.

From Slate