gilt

1 of 3

adjective

ˈgilt 

: covered with gold or gilt : of the color of gold

gilt

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

: gold or something that resembles gold laid on a surface

2

slang : money

3

: superficial brilliance

4

: a bond issued by the government of the United Kingdom

gilt

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a young female swine

Examples of gilt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Plus, each page features gold gilt edges for added shelf appeal. —Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 6 Jan. 2026

Dramatic rises in gilt yields — essentially the amount of interest the government pays on its debt — can also have a wider impact on the overall economy. —Holly Ellyatt,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2025

Noun

In 2022, gilt markets were shaken when then-Prime Minister Liz Truss announced a swathe of unfunded tax cuts — forcing an intervention from the Bank of England and leading to Truss’ resignation after just 44 days into the job. —Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026

It’s set to price at 120 basis points over the UK government benchmark while the shortest tranche — just three years — has been set at 45 basis points over gilts. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun (1)

Middle English, from past participle of gilden to gild

Noun (2)

Middle English gylte, from Old Norse gyltr; akin to Old English gelde sterile — more at geld

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gilt

• gilt-edge
• gilt-edged

Rhymes for gilt

• built
• guilt
• hilt
• kilt
• lilt
• milt
• quilt
• silt
• spilt
• stilt
• tilt
• wilt

Kids Definition

gilt

1 of 3 adjective

ˈgilt 

: of the color of gold

gilt

2 of 3 noun

: gold or something like gold laid on a surface

gilt

3 of 3 noun

: a young female pig

Medical Definition

gilt

noun

ˈgilt 

: a young female swine