gild

(gĭld)
tr.v., gild·ed, or gilt (gĭlt), gild·ing, gilds.

1. To cover with or as if with a thin layer of gold.
2. To give an often deceptively attractive or improved appearance to.
3. Archaic. To smear with blood.

idiom:

gild the lily

1. To adorn unnecessarily something already beautiful.
2. To make superfluous additions to what is already complete.

[Middle English gilden, from Old English gyldan.]

gilder gild'er n.

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meaning 'to cover thinly with gold', has a past participle gilded (The porcelain is gilded by a magma of gold), but the adjectival form is either gilt (gilt tooling / gilt-edged securities) or gilded (gilded youth). This word should be distinguished from the noun guild (with u), meaning 'a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants'.

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For a list of words related to gild, see:

• Surfaces and Finishing Materials - gild: (vb) overlay with very thin layer of gold

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See words rhyming with "gild."

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