Jump to content

golden

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Golden

English

[edit]
WOTD – 19 February 2010

Alternative forms

[edit]
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Pronunciation

[edit]

Etymology 1

[edit]
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃-
Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰĺ̥h₃-to-mder.
Proto-Germanic *gulþą
Proto-Indo-European *-nós
Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos
Proto-Germanic *-īnaz
Proto-Germanic *gulþīnaz
Proto-West Germanic *gulþīn
Old English gylden
Middle English gildender.
Middle English golden
English golden

    From Middle English golden, a restored form (due to the noun gold) of earlier Middle English gulden, gylden, gilden ("golden"; > English gilden), from Old English gylden (“golden”), from Proto-West Germanic *gulþīn, from Proto-Germanic *gulþīnaz (“golden, made of gold”), equivalent to gold +‎ -en.

    Cognate with Dutch gouden, gulden (“golden”), German gülden, golden (“golden”), Danish gylden (“golden”). Doublet of gilden. More at gold.

    Adjective

    [edit]

    golden (comparative more golden or goldener, superlative most golden or goldenest)

    1. Made of, or relating to, gold.
      She wore a golden crown.
      • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:
        And now the concern which Partridge felt at being obliged to quit the warm chimney-corner, and a cup of excellent liquor, was somewhat compensated by hearing that he was to proceed no farther on foot, for Jones, by golden arguments, had prevailed with the boy to attend him back to the inn whither he had before conducted Sophia […]
    2. Having a color or other richness suggestive of gold.
      Under a golden sun.
      golden:  
    3. Of a beverage, flavoured or colored with turmeric. [from c. 2010]
    4. Marked by prosperity, creativity etc.
      The Renaissance was a golden era.
      the Golden Horseshoe
    5. Advantageous or very favourable.
      This is a golden opportunity
      • 2011 October 20, Jamie Lillywhite, “Tottenham 1 - 0 Rubin Kazan”, in BBC Sport‎[1], archived from the original on 27 September 2026:
        ... a seasoned Champions League outfit, who beat Barcelona at the Nou Camp in 2009-10 and continually worked their way between the home defence to create some golden opportunities.
    6. Relating to a fiftieth anniversary.
      It's not long until our golden wedding.
    7. Relating to the elderly or retired.
      After retiring, Bob and Judy moved to Arizona to live out their golden years.
    8. (UK, slang, predicative) Fine, without problems.
      • 2007, Colin Barr, Steve Katai, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Triathlon Training, Penguin, →ISBN, page 28:
        Many anti-fog variety goggles are available, but if you don't get that type, just rub a little spit on the lenses before you put them on in the water and you'll be golden.
      • 2009, Mark Wiskup, Presentation S.O.S.: From Perspiration to Persuasion in 9 Easy Steps, Hachette UK, →ISBN:
        Therefore, the task ahead is easy. When the spotlight is on you, never let the audience down and you'll be golden.
      • 2011, Wayne R. Dempsey, 101 Projects for Your Porsche Boxster, Motorbooks, →ISBN, page 68:
        If all of the marks line up perfectly, then you're golden, and you can continue on with finishing up the installation.
      • 2025, “Grown Ups”, in Jarvis Cocker (lyrics), More, performed by Pulp:
        I arrived pretty late, but you didn't seem to mind / We are not the first, but we are golden tonight
    Synonyms
    [edit]
    Derived terms
    [edit]
    Translations
    [edit]

    Noun

    [edit]

    golden (plural goldens)

    1. (Can we verify(+) this sense?) brassy drummer, brassy chub, etc. (Kyphosus vaigiensis), a fish found in southeast Asia.
    2. Ellipsis of golden retriever.
      • 1995, Jaime J. Sucher, Golden Retrievers, Barron’s, →ISBN, page 76:
        The archives of the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) record goldens in the United States as early as the 1890s.
      • 2017, Linda Bozzo, I Like Golden Retrievers! (Discover Dogs with the American Canine Association), Enslow Publishing, pages 4 and 15:
        Golden retrievers, or goldens, make great family pets. […] Goldens should be brushed regularly.
      • 2019, Sarah Frank, Golden Retrievers, Lerner Publishing Group, page 6:
        Throw a toy into the water, and watch your golden go for it!
      • 2021, Marcie Aboff, Fast Facts About Golden Retrievers (Fast Facts About Dogs), Raintree, Capstone Global Library Limited, →ISBN, page 13:
        People like petting goldens.

    Etymology 2

    [edit]

    From gold +‎ -en, or perhaps a derivation from the adjective above.

    Verb

    [edit]

    golden (third-person singular simple present goldens, present participle goldening, simple past and past participle goldened)

    1. (intransitive) To become gold or golden (in color).
    2. (transitive) To make golden or like gold.
      • 1994, Marion H. Hedges, Iron City:
        It goldened, as nothing else goldened, the commonplace countryside.
    Translations
    [edit]

    References

    [edit]

    Anagrams

    [edit]

    Dutch

    [edit]

    Pronunciation

    [edit]

    Verb

    [edit]

    golden

    1. inflection of gelden:
      1. plural past indicative
      2. (dated or formal) plural past subjunctive

    Anagrams

    [edit]

    German

    [edit]

    Alternative forms

    [edit]

    Etymology

    [edit]

    Common since the 18th century. Alteration (after Gold (“gold”)) of older gulden, gülden, from Middle High German guldīn, güldīn, from Old High German guldīn, from Proto-Germanic *gulþīnaz. Equivalent to Gold +‎ -en. Cognate with Dutch gulden, gouden, English golden.

    Pronunciation

    [edit]

    Adjective

    [edit]

    golden (strong nominative masculine singular goldener, comparative goldener, superlative am goldensten)

    1. golden; gold (made of gold)
    2. golden (gold-colored)

    Declension

    [edit]
    Positive forms of golden
    number & gender singular plural
    masculine feminine neuter
    predicative er ist golden sie ist golden es ist golden sie sind golden
    strong declension
    (without article)     		nominative goldener goldene goldenes goldene
    genitive goldenen goldener goldenen goldener
    dative goldenem goldener goldenem goldenen
    accusative goldenen goldene goldenes goldene
    weak declension
    (with definite article)     		nominative der goldene die goldene das goldene die goldenen
    genitive des goldenen der goldenen des goldenen der goldenen
    dative dem goldenen der goldenen dem goldenen den goldenen
    accusative den goldenen die goldene das goldene die goldenen
    mixed declension
    (with indefinite article)     		nominative ein goldener eine goldene ein goldenes (keine) goldenen
    genitive eines goldenen einer goldenen eines goldenen (keiner) goldenen
    dative einem goldenen einer goldenen einem goldenen (keinen) goldenen
    accusative einen goldenen eine goldene ein goldenes (keine) goldenen
    Comparative forms of golden
    number & gender singular plural
    masculine feminine neuter
    predicative er ist goldener sie ist goldener es ist goldener sie sind goldener
    strong declension
    (without article)     		nominative goldenerer goldenere goldeneres goldenere
    genitive goldeneren goldenerer goldeneren goldenerer
    dative goldenerem goldenerer goldenerem goldeneren
    accusative goldeneren goldenere goldeneres goldenere
    weak declension
    (with definite article)     		nominative der goldenere die goldenere das goldenere die goldeneren
    genitive des goldeneren der goldeneren des goldeneren der goldeneren
    dative dem goldeneren der goldeneren dem goldeneren den goldeneren
    accusative den goldeneren die goldenere das goldenere die goldeneren
    mixed declension
    (with indefinite article)     		nominative ein goldenerer eine goldenere ein goldeneres (keine) goldeneren
    genitive eines goldeneren einer goldeneren eines goldeneren (keiner) goldeneren
    dative einem goldeneren einer goldeneren einem goldeneren (keinen) goldeneren
    accusative einen goldeneren eine goldenere ein goldeneres (keine) goldeneren
    Superlative forms of golden
    number & gender singular plural
    masculine feminine neuter
    predicative er ist am goldensten sie ist am goldensten es ist am goldensten sie sind am goldensten
    strong declension
    (without article)     		nominative goldenster goldenste goldenstes goldenste
    genitive goldensten goldenster goldensten goldenster
    dative goldenstem goldenster goldenstem goldensten
    accusative goldensten goldenste goldenstes goldenste
    weak declension
    (with definite article)     		nominative der goldenste die goldenste das goldenste die goldensten
    genitive des goldensten der goldensten des goldensten der goldensten
    dative dem goldensten der goldensten dem goldensten den goldensten
    accusative den goldensten die goldenste das goldenste die goldensten
    mixed declension
    (with indefinite article)     		nominative ein goldenster eine goldenste ein goldenstes (keine) goldensten
    genitive eines goldensten einer goldensten eines goldensten (keiner) goldensten
    dative einem goldensten einer goldensten einem goldensten (keinen) goldensten
    accusative einen goldensten eine goldenste ein goldenstes (keine) goldensten

    Synonyms

    [edit]

    Derived terms

    [edit]

    See also

    [edit]

    Further reading

    [edit]
    • “golden” in Duden online
    • “golden”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎[2] (in German)

    Middle English

    [edit]

    Alternative forms

    [edit]

    Etymology

    [edit]

      From gilden, reformed analogically as gold (“gold”) +‎ -en (made of). First attested in c. 1300.

      Pronunciation

      [edit]
      • IPA(key): /ˈɡɔldən/, /ˈɡoːldən/

      Adjective

      [edit]

      golden

      1. Made from or composed of gold
        Synonym: gilden
      2. Adorned or inlaid with gold or covered in gold leaf.
        Synonym: gilden
      3. Gold-coloured; golden in colour.
        Synonym: gilden
      4. (figurative) Of excellent quality or worth; precious, best.
        Synonym: gilden

      Descendants

      [edit]
      • English: golden
      • Middle Scots: goldin

      References

      [edit]

      Old English

      [edit]

      Verb

      [edit]

      golden

      1. past participle of ġieldan

      Plautdietsch

      [edit]

      Adjective

      [edit]

      golden

      1. golden

      Spanish

      [edit]

      Pronunciation

      [edit]
      • IPA(key): /ˈɡolden/ [ˈɡol̪.d̪ẽn]
      • Rhymes: -olden
      • Syllabification: gol‧den

      Noun

      [edit]

      golden f (plural golden)

      1. Golden Delicious
      Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=golden&oldid=93542120"