gold

noun, often attributive \ ˈgōld \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Definition of gold

1 : a yellow malleable ductile metallic element that occurs chiefly free or in a few minerals and is used especially in coins, jewelry, and dentures — see Chemical Elements Table

2 a (1) : gold coins

(2) : a gold piece

b : money

c : gold standard 1

3 : a variable color averaging deep yellow

4 : something resembling gold; especially : something valued as the finest of its kind

a heart of gold

5 : a medal awarded as the first prize in a competition : a gold medal

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See gold defined for kids

Examples of gold in a Sentence

diamonds in a setting of 24-karat gold
What is the price of gold?

Recent Examples of gold from the Web

Helen was a no-nonsense soul, with a heart of gold.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Helen Umberfield," 10 July 2018
Scott Lang was a down and out loser with a heart of gold, whereas Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) had to find his heart.

— carolyn giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Editor Says Scott Lang Needs to Find "Balance" in the Sequel," 5 July 2018
Anderson oscillates between matte and glossy glazes, in a spare palette of black, white and gold.

— leah ollman, latimes.com, "The disturbing meets the sweet in Alex Anderson's new sculptures at Gavlak," 4 July 2018
For the show, Marc Quinn proposed a near life-sized statue of Kate made entirely of gold.

— waldemar januszczak, A-LIST, "Kate Moss: The Golden Girl," 1 July 2018
Friends knew Aaron Rajman as a young man with a heart of gold.

— marc freeman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Records reveal MMA fighter Aaron Rajman was killed in drug robbery gone bad," 29 June 2018
In 1828, following the discovery of gold on Cherokee land, the Georgia legislature passed a law extending its jurisdiction over the Cherokee Nation and allowing state surveyors to assess and divide land occupied by Cherokee people.

— time staff, Time, "The 25 Moments From American History That Matter Right Now," 28 June 2018
Combined with current operations, Fort Knox's overall production cost from 2018-2030 is expected to be $1,005 per ounce with annual production averaging 205,000 ounces of gold.

— author: elwood brehmer, Anchorage Daily News, "Interior gold mine gets new life, $100M expansion," 17 June 2018
The American company, the predecessor to what is now Chevron, paid him 50,000 British pounds’ worth of gold for the contract.

— stanley reed, New York Times, "An Oil Giant Is Taking Big Steps. Saudi Arabia Can’t Afford for It to Slip.," 16 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gold.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gold

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German gold gold, Old English geolu yellow — more at yellow

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First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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gold Synonyms

Synonyms

bread [slang], bucks, cash, change, chips, coin, currency, dough, green, jack [slang], legal tender, lucre, money, pelf, tender, wampum;

Related Words

coinage, specie;

paper money, scrip;

banknote, cashier's check, check, draft, money order, note, promissory note;

bill, dollar, greenback;

bankroll, capital, finances, funds, wad, wallet;

mite, peanuts, pittance, shoestring;

bundle, fortune, king's ransom, mint, pile, pot;

opulence, riches, treasure, wealth;

resources, wherewithal;

petty cash, pin money, pocket money, spending money;

gold

adjective

Definition of gold

: qualifying for a gold record

— go gold

: to have enough sales to qualify for a gold record

the album went gold

See gold defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of gold from the Web

In one photo of the celebration, Penelope is all smiles while wearing a pink hat with a gold tinsel trim.

— jen juneau, PEOPLE.com, "Kim Kardashian West Wishes Niece Penelope a Happy Birthday with Hilarious Side-Eye Photo," 9 July 2018
The 34-year-old accessorized the look with gold hoop earrings, trendy Chanel sunglasses, a straw J.Crew clutch, and a matching straw hat.

— kara thompson, Town & Country, "Pippa Middleton Looked Fresh In White Eyelet While at Wimbledon," 5 July 2018
There's nothing wrong with gold old-fashioned American protest.

— howard kurtz, Fox News, "Targeting Trump aides: The politics of rage is out of control," 26 June 2018
The Panthers’ only gold medal of the event came in the 4×100 relay with a winning time of 46.80.

— mike owens, Philly.com, "Team unity, faith propel Cheltenham girls' track to another historic season," 2 June 2018
Visitors usually need an appointment at the library at Windsor Castle to see the manuscript, with its illuminated front pieces, decorated with gold metallic paint, and its minutely rendered inside paintings.

— j.s. marcus, WSJ, "Souvenirs of a Prince’s Passage to India," 18 May 2018
The clean, white frame is accented with a gold top-bar inlay for an edgy twist on a classic style that’ll never look out of place.

— minna shim, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Chicest Sunglasses of the Season," 14 May 2018
Dugal — a nurse at Duke University Hospital — says about their black, white and gold color scheme and decor.

— sarah michaud, PEOPLE.com, "Scotty McCreery Marries Gabi Dugal in North Carolina — All the Details!," 16 June 2018
In terms of hair accessories, NCT's Taeyong, who shares a style director with EXO, wore gold bobby pins in his hair earlier this year.

— devon abelman, Allure, "EXO's Kai Brought K-Pop Style to Gucci Cruise With This Stunning, Veil-Like Headband," 31 May 2018

First Known Use of gold

1969

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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GOLD Defined for English Language Learners

gold

noun

Definition of gold for English Language Learners

: a soft yellow metal that is very valuable and that is used especially in jewelry
: gold coins
: a deep yellow color

gold

adjective

Definition of gold for English Language Learners

: made of or from gold
: having a gold color

GOLD Defined for Kids

gold

noun \ ˈgōld \

Definition of gold for Students

1 : a soft yellow metallic chemical element used especially in coins and jewelry

2 : gold coins

3 : a medal awarded as the first prize in a competition

4 : a deep yellow

Medical Dictionary

gold

noun, often attributive \ ˈgōld \

medical Definition of gold

: a malleable ductile yellow metallic element that occurs chiefly free or in a few minerals and is used especially in coins, jewelry, and dentures and in the form of its salts (as gold sodium thiomalate) especially in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis —symbol Au — see Chemical Elements Table