GOLD

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does gold mean? 

• GOLD (noun)
  The noun GOLD has 5 senses:

1. coins made of gold

2. a deep yellow color

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

5. something likened to the metal in brightness or preciousness or superiority etc.

  Familiarity information: GOLD used as a noun is common.

• GOLD (adjective)
  The adjective GOLD has 2 senses:

1. made from or covered with gold

2. having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

  Familiarity information: GOLD used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GOLD (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Coins made of gold

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("gold" is a kind of...):

precious metal (any of the less common and valuable metals often used to make coins or jewelry)

Meronyms (substance of "gold"):

atomic number 79; Au; gold (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)

Derivation:

gold (made from or covered with gold)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A deep yellow color

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

amber; gold

Context example:

he admired the gold of her hair

Hypernyms ("gold" is a kind of...):

yellow; yellowness (yellow color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of sunflowers or ripe lemons)

Derivation:

gold (having the deep slightly brownish color of gold)

Sense 3

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

atomic number 79; Au; gold

Hypernyms ("gold" is a kind of...):

noble metal (any metal that is resistant to corrosion or oxidation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gold"):

24-karat gold; pure gold (100 per cent gold)

gold dust (the particles and flakes (and sometimes small nuggets) of gold obtained in placer mining)

green gold (a gold alloy (at least 14 karat gold with silver or silver and cadmium) that has a green appearance)

guinea gold (22-karat gold from which guinea coins were made)

Holonyms ("gold" is a substance of...):

gold foil (foil made of gold)

gold leaf (a very thin form of gold foil)

gold (coins made of gold)

dental gold (an alloy of gold used in dentistry)

graphic tellurium; sylvanite (a silver-white mineral consisting of silver gold telluride; a source of gold in Australia and America)

Derivation:

gold (made from or covered with gold)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Great wealth

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Context example:

Whilst that for which all virtue now is sold, and almost every vice--almighty gold

Hypernyms ("gold" is a kind of...):

riches; wealth (an abundance of material possessions and resources)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Something likened to the metal in brightness or preciousness or superiority etc.

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

she has a heart of gold

Hypernyms ("gold" is a kind of...):

invaluableness; preciousness; pricelessness; valuableness (the positive quality of being precious and beyond value)

• GOLD (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Made from or covered with gold

Synonyms:

gilded; gold; golden

Context example:

gilded icons

Similar:

metal; metallic (containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal)

Derivation:

gold (coins made of gold)

gold (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)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

Synonyms:

aureate; gilded; gilt; gold; golden

Context example:

a gold carpet

Similar:

chromatic (being or having or characterized by hue)

Derivation:

gold (a deep yellow color)

 Context examples 

I could not see a key anywhere, but the heap of gold remained.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Catherine stood musing for a while, and at last said to her husband, Hark ye, Frederick, we will soon get the gold back: let us run after the thieves.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Warholm, who is 23 years old, won the gold medal with a time of 47.42 seconds.

(Norway's Warholm wins gold in 400 m hurdles at World Championships in Doha, Wikinews)

Astronomers consider this the “gold standard” for detections of molecules.

(Stellar Corpse Reveals Origin of Radioactive Molecules, ESO)

A flower of yours, that I may treasure it as a miser does gold.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

'It turns out - if our results are correct - the inner core shares some similar elastic properties with gold and platinum.

(Earth's Core Confirmed to Be Solid After 80 Years of Study, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

“Stand to it, my hearts of gold,” said the old bowman as he passed from knot to knot.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The material, developed by researchers from the University of Cambridge, is made of tiny particles of gold coated in a polymer shell, and then squeezed into microdroplets of water in oil.

(Colour-changing artificial ‘chameleon skin’ powered by nanomachines, University of Cambridge)

For more than 60 years, DEET has been considered the gold standard in insect repellents—the most effective and long-lasting available commercially.

(Coconut Oil Compounds Repel Insects Better than DEET, U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Sir Charles Tregellis continued for some years to show his scarlet and gold at Newmarket, and his inimitable coats in St. James’s.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)