a precious yellow metallic element, highly malleable and ductile, and not subject to oxidation or corrosion. Symbol:Au; atomic weight:196.967; atomic number:79; specific gravity:19.3 at 20°C.
2.
a quantity of gold coins: to pay in gold.
3.
a monetary standard based on this metal; gold standard.
4.
money; wealth; riches.
5.
something likened to this metal in brightness, preciousness, superiority, etc.: a heart of gold.
6.
a bright, metallic yellow color, sometimes tending toward brown.
Symbol Au A soft, yellow, corrosion-resistant element, the most malleable and ductile metal, occurring in veins and alluvial deposits and recovered by mining or by panning or sluicing. A good thermal and electrical conductor, gold is generally alloyed to increase its strength, and it is used as an international monetary standard, in jewelry, for decoration, and as a plated coating on a wide variety of electrical and mechanical components. Atomic number 79; atomic weight 196.967; melting point 1,063.0°C; boiling point 2,966.0°C; specific gravity 19.32; valence 1, 3. See Table at element.
Coinage made of this element.
A gold standard.
A medal made of gold awarded to one placing first in a competition, as in the Olympics: won 9 golds in 13 events.
A gold record.
Money; riches.
A light olive-brown to dark yellow, or a moderate, strong to vivid yellow.
Something regarded as having great value or goodness: a heart of gold.
A medal made of gold awarded to one placing first in a competition, as in the Olympics: won 9 golds in 13 events.
A gold record.
adj.
Having the color of gold.
[Middle English, from Old English; see ghel-2 in Indo-European roots.]
O.E. gold, from P.Gmc. *gulth- (cf. O.S., O.Fris., O.H.G. gold, Ger. Gold, M.Du. gout, Du. goud, O.N. gull, Dan. guld, Goth. gulþ), from PIE base *ghel-/*ghol- "yellow, green," possibly ult. "bright" (cf. O.C.S. zlato, Rus. zoloto, Skt. hiranyam, O.Pers. daraniya-, Avestan zaranya- "gold;" see Chloe). In reference to the color of the metal, it is recorded from c.1400. Golden replaced M.E. gilden, from O.E. gyldan.Gold is one of the few Mod.Eng. nouns that form adjs. meaning "made of ______" by adding -en (e.g. wooden, leaden, waxen, olden); O.E. also had silfren "made of silver," stænen "made of stone." Goldenrod is 1568; goldfinch is from O.E. goldfinc;goldfish is from 1698, introduced into England from China, where they are native. Gold-digger "woman who pursues men for their money," first recorded 1915. Goldbrick (n.) "shirker" (1914) is World War I armed forces slang, from earlier verb meaning "to swindle, cheat" (1902) from the old con game of selling spurious "gold" bricks. Golden mean "avoidance of excess" translates L. aurea mediocritas (Horace). Golden rule (originally Golden law) so called from 1674.
"Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same." [George Bernard Shaw, 1898]
made from or covered with gold; "gold coins"; "the gold dome of the Capitol"; "the golden calf"; "gilded icons"
2.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold; "long aureate (or golden) hair"; "a gold carpet" [syn: aureate]
noun
1.
coins made of gold
2.
a deep yellow color; "an amber light illuminated the room"; "he admired the gold of her hair" [syn: amber]
3.
a soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalent and univalent) metallic element; occurs mainly as nuggets in rocks and alluvial deposits; does not react with most chemicals but is attacked by chlorine and aqua regia
4.
great wealth; "Whilst that for which all virtue now is sold, and almost every vice--almighty gold"--Ben Jonson
5.
something likened to the metal in brightness or preciousness or superiority etc.; "the child was as good as gold"; "she has a heart of gold"
goldAudio Help (gōld) Pronunciation Key Symbol Au
A soft, shiny, yellow element that is the most malleable of all the metals. It occurs in veins and in alluvial deposits. Because it is very durable, resistant to corrosion, and a good conductor of heat and electricity, gold is used as a plated coating on electrical and mechanical components. It is also an international monetary standard and is used in jewelry and for decoration. Atomic number 79; atomic weight 196.967; melting point 1,063.0°C; boiling point 2,966.0°C; specific gravity 19.32; valence 1, 3. See Periodic Table. See Note at element.
Gold Hill, OR (city, FIPS 29950) Location: 42.43459 N, 123.05033 W Population (1990): 964 (378 housing units) Area: 1.6 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 97525
Gold River, CA Zip code(s): 95670
Gold Run, CA Zip code(s): 95717
Gold Bar, WA (town, FIPS 27365) Location: 47.85775 N, 121.69570 W Population (1990): 1078 (431 housing units) Area: 1.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Gold Beach, OR (city, FIPS 29900) Location: 42.41291 N, 124.41852 W Population (1990): 1546 (773 housing units) Area: 2.9 sq km (land), 0.5 sq km (water)
Al`u*min"i*um\ ([a^]l`[-u]*m[i^]n"[i^]*[u^]m), n. [L. alumen. See Alum.] (Chem.) The metallic base of alumina. This metal is white, but with a bluish tinge, and is remarkable for its resistance to oxidation, and for its lightness, having a specific gravity of about 2.6. Atomic weight 27.08. Symbol Al. Aluminium bronze or gold, a pale gold-colored alloy of aluminium and copper, used for journal bearings, etc.
Gild\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gilded or Gilt (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Gilding.] [AS. gyldan, from gold gold. [root]234. See Gold.]1. To overlay with a thin covering of gold; to cover with a golden color; to cause to look like gold. "Gilded chariots." --Pope. No more the rising sun shall gild the morn. --Pope. 2. To make attractive; to adorn; to brighten. Let oft good humor, mild and gay, Gild the calm evening of your day. --Trumbull. 3. To give a fair but deceptive outward appearance to; to embellish; as, to gild a lie. --Shak. 4. To make red with drinking. [Obs.] This grand liquior that hath gilded them. --Shak.
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