Gilt
/ɡɪlt/noun
A thin layer of gold or a gold-colored coating.
Did you know?“Gilt” comes from the same Old English root as “gold,” and historically it could mean both the gold itself and the act of covering something with gold leaf.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ghel-
“to shine; yellow, green”
Old English
OE
gyldan
“to gild, cover with gold”
Middle English
ME
gilt
“gilded; covered with gold”
Middle English
ME
gilt
“gold leaf or gold plating”
Modern English
English
gilt
“a thin gold coating; something covered with gold”