gilt (adj.)

"gilded," c. 1400, past participle of Middle English gilden "to gild," from Old English gyldan (see gild (v.)). Also used as a noun with a sense of "gilding" (early 15c.).

Entries linking to gilt

gild (v.)

Old English gyldan "to gild, to cover with a thin layer of gold," from Proto-Germanic *gulthjan (source also of Old Norse gylla "to gild," Old High German ubergulden "to cover with gold"), verb from *gultham "gold" (see gold). Related: Gilded; gilding. Figuratively from 1590s.

gilded (adj.)

1560s, past-participle adjective from gild (v.). Late Old English had gegylde; Middle English had gilden (adj.). In modern use the more dignified past participle of gild, alternative to gilt. Shakespeare's lilies were never gilded; the quote ("King John," iv.2) is, "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily." Gilded Age as an era in U.S. history (roughly 1870-1900) is from the novel "The Gilded Age" by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, published in 1873.

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updated on March 04, 2015

Definitions of gilt from WordNet

gilt (n.)

a coating of gold or of something that looks like gold;

Synonyms: gilding

gilt (adj.)

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold;

Synonyms: aureate / gilded / gold / golden

From wordnet.princeton.edu, not affiliated with etymonline.

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