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tr.v. gild·ed or gilt (gĭlt), gild·ing, gilds Idiom: 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. 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; see ghel-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] gilder n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
