n.
- An association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards.
- A similar association, as of merchants or artisans, in medieval times.
- Ecology. A group of diverse species, especially animal species, that occupy a common niche in a given community, characterized by exploitation of environmental resources in the same way.
[Middle English gild, from Old Norse gildi, payment, guild.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
