gild
Pronunciation Verb

gild (gilds, present participle gilding; past and past participle gilded)

  1. (transitive) To cover with a thin layer of gold; to cover with gold leaf.
    • 1888 May, Oscar Wilde, “The Happy Prince”, in The Happy Prince and Other Tales, London: David Nutt, […], OCLC 595167 ↗, page 1 ↗:
      High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt.
  2. (transitive) To adorn.
    • 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act II, Scene vi:
      I will make fast the doors, and gild myself / With some more ducats, and be with you straight.
  3. (transitive, cooking) To decorate with a golden surface appearance.
    • 2008, Ivan P. Day, Cooking in Europe, 1650-1850 (page 98)
      Gild the entire outside with beaten egg yolk, and sprinkle it with grated parmesan.
  4. (transitive) To give a bright or pleasing aspect to.
    • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 28:
      When sparkling stars twire not, thou gild'st the even.
  5. (transitive) To make appear drunk.
Translations Translations Translations Noun

gild (plural gilds)

  1. Obsolete form of guild#English|guild.
    • 1920, H. E. Salter, Munimenta Civitatis Oxonie (volume 71, page xxviii)
      No trade gild might be started without the consent of the whole body of hanasters, who would insist that the regulations were not harmful to the burgesses as a whole; […]



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