gold
/ɡəʊld
/noun [mass noun]
1A yellow precious metal, the chemical element of atomic number 79, used in jewellery and decoration and to guarantee the value of currencies. (Symbol: Au) [as modifier]: gold earrings...
- While equities languish, precious metals such as gold have seen their value soar as investors seek a safe haven during uncertain times.
- National states have endeavoured to overcome this problem by linking the value of national currencies to the value of gold or silver.
- He explained that Ongopolo mines and processes base metal, mainly copper, but also associated precious metals such as gold and silver.
1.1 [with modifier] An alloy of gold: 9-carat gold...
- A panorama of the Houses of Parliament is sculpted in silver and 24-carat gold, along with the lion and unicorn from the royal standard.
- The beakers pictured are a limited edition, made from silver and 18-carat gold.
- The stoneware piece is made from fired ceramic clay, glazed and gilded in 23-carat gold.
2A deep lustrous yellow or yellow-brown colour: her eyes were light green and flecked with gold...
- In the end I went for a deep red with gold flecks in it.
- The riverside trees and bushes were quite magnificent in the autumn colours of reds, gold, oranges and yellows.
- Stir in the cumin seed and the crushed chilli and continue cooking until the onions are deep gold in colour and spicily fragrant.
3Coins or other articles made of gold: her ankles and wrists were glinting with gold...
- The P&O liner Egypt sank in the Bay of Biscay in 1922, loaded with gold, silver and coins worth £36m at today's rates.
- Dain offers Bilbo as much of the treasure as he wants, but Bilbo carries away only a small chest each of gold and silver.
- Their necks and chests were glinting in gold and their wrists jangled loudly with even more jewelry.
3.1Money in large sums; wealth: he proved to be a rabid seeker for gold and power...
- He didn't trust banks for some reason and kept all his money and gold in a stupid safe in the attic.
- Perhaps it's a subliminal, sinister reminder that gold is the root of all evil.
- Who never dreamed about something like that; gold, wealth, adventure, history.
3.2Something considered to be precious, beautiful, or of the most superior quality: they scout continents in search of the new green gold...
- To an immigrant a green card is gold in this country.
- We are looking at the Aberdare Ridges, a chain of mountains that is covered with green gold.
4 [count noun] short for gold medal. she claimed she was robbed of a gold...
- Kieren Perkins is, of course, an Olympic medallist from each of the last three Olympic Games: two golds, two silvers.
- This played out in the form of two golds and one silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games - the most successful medal haul ever for British rowing.
- She was a great sprinter in her time winning silver and bronze medals at the 1960 Olympics and multiple golds at the 1963 Commonwealth and European Games in 1963, the year she won the award.
Synonyms
gold medal, first prize
5 [count noun] The bullseye of an archery target.Previously I'd had to aim at the top of the target to get near gold as my sight wouldn't go any lower....
- Every single arrow that you shoot has the possibility of hitting the centre of that target, hitting the gold, hitting the 10.
Phrases
go gold
pot (or crock) of gold
Origin
Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch goud and German Gold, from an Indo-European root shared by yellow.