gilt

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of gild¹.

adjective

2. gilded.
3. gold in color; golden.

noun

4. the thin layer of gold or other material applied in gilding.
5. gilt-edged security.

noun

1. a young female swine, especially one that has not produced a litter.

verb (used with object), gild·ed or gilt, gild·ing.

1. to coat with gold, gold leaf, or a gold-colored substance.
2. to give a bright, pleasing, or specious aspect to.
3. Archaic. to make red, as with blood.

Idioms

4. gild the lily, to add unnecessary ornamentation, a special feature, etc., in an attempt to improve something that is already complete, satisfactory, or ideal: After that wonderful meal, serving a fancy dessert would be gilding the lily.

verb

1. a past tense and past participle of gild 1

noun

2. gold or a substance simulating it, applied in gilding
3. another word for gilding (def. 1), gilding (def. 2)
4. superficial or false appearance of excellence; glamour
5. a gilt-edged security
6. take the gilt off the gingerbread to destroy the part of something that gives it its appeal

adjective

7. covered with or as if with gold or gilt; gilded

noun

1. a young female pig, esp one that has not had a litter

verb gilds, gilding, gilded or gilt (ɡɪlt) (tr)

1. to cover with or as if with gold
2. gild the lily
   1. to adorn unnecessarily something already beautiful
   2. to praise someone inordinately
3. to give a falsely attractive or valuable appearance to
4. archaic to smear with blood

noun

1. a variant spelling of guild (def. 2)

adj.

c.1400, past participle of Middle English gilden, from Old English gyldan (see gild). Also used as a noun with a sense of “gilding” (early 15c.).

v.

Old English gyldan “to gild, to cover with a thin layer of gold,” from Proto-Germanic *gulthianan (cf. Old Norse gylla “to gild,” Old High German ubergulden “to cover with gold”), from *gulthan “gold” (see gold). Related: Gilded; gilding. Figuratively from 1590s.