gold

English Online Dictionary. What means gold‎? What does gold mean?

English

Alternative forms

• gould (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɡəʊld/, [ɡɔʊ(ɫ)d], [ɡɒʊ(ɫ)d]
• (General American) enPR: gōld, IPA^(key): /ɡoʊld/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ɡaʉld/, [ɡɒʊ(ɫ)d]
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /ɡuːld/
• Rhymes: -əʊld

Etymology 1

From Middle English gold, from Old English gold (“gold”), from Proto-West Germanic *golþ, from Proto-Germanic *gulþą (“gold”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰl̥tóm (“gold”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“yellow; gleam; to shine”). Related to yellow; see there for more.

Germanic cognates include Dutch goud, German Gold, Norwegian gull, Swedish guld, and cognates from other Indo-European languages are Latvian zelts, Russian зо́лото (zóloto), Persian زرد (zard, “yellow, golden”), Sanskrit हिरण्य (hiraṇya).

Noun

gold (countable and uncountable, plural gold or golds)

2. (uncountable) A heavy yellow elemental metal of great value, with atomic number 79 and symbol Au.
4. (countable or uncountable) A coin or coinage made of this material, or supposedly so.

6. (uncountable) A deep yellow colour, resembling the metal gold.

8. (countable) The bullseye of an archery target.

10. (countable) A gold medal.

12. (figuratively) Anything or anyone that is very valuable.

    Synonym: good as gold
14. (slang, in the plural) A grill (jewellery worn on front teeth) made of gold.

Symbol

gold

1. ☉ (alchemy)

Synonyms

• aurum
• E175 when used as a food colouring

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

• (place to pan for gold): lavatory

Adjective

gold (not generally comparable, comparative golder, superlative goldest)

1. Made of gold.

   Synonym: golden
2. Having the colour of gold.

   Synonym: golden
3. (of commercial services) Premium, superior.
4. Of a musical recording: having sold 500,000 copies.

   Coordinate term: platinum
5. (academia) Subject to or involving a model of open access in which a published article is immediately available for to read for free with no embargo period.

   Coordinate term: green

Translations

Verb

gold (third-person singular simple present golds, present participle golding, simple past and past participle golded)

1. To appear or cause to appear golden.

See also

Etymology 2

From gold master, a copy of the code certified as being ready for release.

Adjective

gold (not comparable)

1. (programming, of software) In a finished state, ready for manufacturing.

Adverb

gold (not comparable)

1. of or referring to a gold version of something

References

Further reading

• David Barthelmy (1997–2024) “Gold”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database.
• Mindat.org‎^[3], Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2024.

Cebuano

Etymology

Borrowed from English gold, from Middle English gold, from Old English gold (“gold”), from Proto-Germanic *gulþą (“gold”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰl̥tóm (“gold”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“yellow; gleam; to shine”).

Noun

gold

1. gold (chemical element)
2. a coin or coinage made of this material, or supposedly so
3. a bright yellow color, resembling the metal gold
4. a gold medal
5. (fantasy roleplaying games board games) miscellaneous unit of currency in fantasy genre

Adjective

gold

1. having the colour of gold

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:gold.

Cimbrian

Alternative forms

• golt (Sette Comuni)

Etymology

From Middle High German golt, from Old High German gold, from Proto-West Germanic *golþ, from Proto-Germanic *gulþą (“gold”). Cognate with German Gold, English gold.

Noun

gold n

1. (Luserna) gold (metal)

References

• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Danish

Etymology

Probably from or related to Old Norse geldr (“barren, yielding no milk”), from Proto-Germanic *galdaz, *galdijaz (“barren, unfruitful”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel- (“to shout, cry”).

See also Swedish gall (“barren”), German galt, gelt (“yielding no milk, unfruitful”), Old Norse gelda (“to castrate”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɔl/, [ɡ̊ʌlˀ]
• Rhymes: -ɒl

Adjective

gold

1. barren, desolate
2. sterile (unable to reproduce)
3. dry, (of a cow) not producing milk

Inflection

Derived terms

• goldhed ("barrenness, sterility")

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

gold

1. singular past indicative of gelden

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English gold (“gold”), from Proto-West Germanic *golþ, from Proto-Germanic *gulþą (“gold”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰl̥tóm (“gold”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“yellow; gleam; to shine”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɔld/, /ɡoːld/

Noun

gold (plural golds)

1. gold (metal)

Derived terms

• gilden
• golden

Descendants

• English: gold
• Scots: gowd, goold

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɔlː/

Adjective

gold (indefinite singular gold, definite singular and plural golde, comparative goldare, indefinite superlative goldast, definite superlative goldaste)

1. frail, barren

References

• “gold” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *golþ, from Proto-Germanic *gulþą, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰĺ̥tom.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡold/, [ɡoɫd]

Noun

gold n

1. gold
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Chair of Saint Peter"

Declension

Derived terms

• goldfāh
• gylden

Descendants

• Middle English: gold
  • English: gold
  • Scots: gowd, goold

Volapük

Etymology

Borrowed from English gold.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡold]

Noun

gold (nominative plural golds)

1. gold

Declension

Synonyms

• goldin (chemistry - Au)
• (obsolete): golüd (classic or original Volapük / Volapük rigik)

Derived terms

See also

• bronsöt
• kuprin (chemistry - Cu)
• largent
• largentin (chemistry - Ag)

Welsh

Etymology

From English gold.

Noun

gold m (uncountable)

1. marigold

Derived terms

Mutation

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “gold”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies