gold-plating

gold-plating [gohld-pley-ting] Word Origin noun

1. the incorporation of costly and unnecessary features or refinements into a product or structure.
2. any expensive nonessential item, convenience, or feature: an apartment with a sauna and other gold-plating.

Origin of gold-plating First recorded in 1960–65 gold-plate [gohld-pleyt] verb (used with object), gold-plat·ed, gold-plat·ing.

1. to coat (base metal) with gold, especially by electroplating.
2. to incorporate costly features or refinements into (something) unnecessarily: The engineers were accused of gold-plating the construction project.

British Dictionary definitions for gold-plating gold-plate verb

1. (tr) to coat (other metal) with gold, usually by electroplating