▪ I. † gild, n.1 Sc. Obs.
[perh. connected with ON. gialla to yell.]
Noise, clamour.
| 1508 Dunbar Flyting w. Dunbar 225 Than rynis thow doun the gait, with gild of boyis, And all the toun tykis hingand in thy heilis. 1533 Bellenden Livy (1822) 274 Appius, herand the huge noyis and gilde rissin haistelie amang the pepill..rais fra his sait. 1599 A. Hume Day Estivall 225 Throw all the land great is the gild Of rustik folks that crie. |
▪ II. gild, n.2 Hist.
(gɪld)
Also guild.
[ad. med.L. gildum, ad. OE. ᵹield; cf. geld n.1]
A payment or tax.
| 1656 Blount Glossogr., Gild alias Geld, signifies a Tribute, or sometime an amercement. 1658 Phillips, Geld, money or tribute, it is also called Gild, or Guild. 1839 Keightley Hist. Eng. I. 123 They laid guilds (taxes) ever⁓more on the towns. 1890 Gross Gild Merch. II. 314 Johanna Hughettes was allowed to give her gild to her husband. |
▪ III. † gild, a. Sc. Obs. rare.
[a. ON. gild-r of full value or growth (OSw. gilder, mod.Sw. gill).]
1. Of an ox: Full-grown, of full value. (Orkney: so Sw. en gill oxe.)
| 1597 Skene De Verb. Sign. s.v. Serplaith, Ane gild Oxe is apprised [in Orkney] to 15 meales, & ane Wedder is four meales. |
2. transf. (See quot.)
| 1710 Ruddiman Gloss. to Douglas' æneis, Thus Scot. we say a gild laughter i.e. loud, a gild rogue; i.e. a great wag or rogue. |
▪ IV. gild, v.1
(gɪld)
Inflected gilt and gilded. Forms: inf. 4 gilden, 5 gyldyn, gilde, 6 gyld, 6–8 guild, 6– gild. pa. tense 7 guilt, 7– gilt, 9 gilded. pa. pple. 4 gilde, y-guld, gildid, gilt(e, gylt, y-gelt, 6–8 guilded, 8 gild, guild, 6– gilded, gilt.
[Represents OE. gyldan (found in pa. pple. ᵹegyld (see gilded ppl. a.), otherwise only in the combinations begyldan, ofergyldan) = ON. gylla:—OTeut. *gulþjan, f. *gulþo{supm} gold.
In the earliest examples only the pa. pple. is found.]
1. trans. To cover entirely or partially with a thin layer of gold, either laid on in the form of gold-leaf or applied by other processes.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 1344 Þay [goddes] ar gilde al with golde & gered wyth syluer. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 1330 Þe celynge with-inne was siluer plat & with red gold ful wel yguld. 1382 Wyclif Exod. xxvi. 29 And thilke tablis thou shalt gilden [1388 ouergilde]. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 367 The image als quhilk wes of Sanct Androw, Wes gilt with gold for to compleit his vow. 1580 Frampton Dial. Yron & Steele 148 They gyld them [iron and steel], they silver them, & there is given to them other coulors. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 477, I see that now adaies siluer only..is guilded by the means of this artificiall Quicksiluer. 1684 Contempl. State Man ii. v. (1699) 168 He spent many days in finding out..how much Gold would serve to guild a Crown of Silver. a 1711 Ken Sion Poet. Wks. 1721 IV. 316 A Pile magnificent..Which by devout Imperial Helen build, Was richly by her Son adorn'd and gild. 1775 Johnson Diary 11 Oct. in Boswell, One of the rooms was gilt to a degree that I never saw before. 1806 R. Cumberland Mem. (1807) I. 184 Its magnificent owner..had gilt and furnished the apartments with a profusion of luxury. 1816 J. Smith Panorama Sc. & Art II. 800 Articles of iron or steel may..be instantly gilt by dipping them into this auriferous ether. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 967/1 Porcelain or glass is gilded by a magma of gold [etc.]. |
| fig. 1340 Ayenb. 233 Þanne byeþ þe þri cornes of þe lilye wel y-gelt mid þe golde of charite. c 1340 Cursor M. 27603 (Fairf.) I-nogh mai we finde of þa [men] þat wiþ-in is rotin as molde & wiþ-oute gilt as golde [Cott. MS. ouergilt with gold]. 1705 Hickeringill Priest-cr. i. (1721) 64 The first Cause..was open'd by the Plaintiff's Council, who..laid on Tongue enough to gild a rotten Sign-Post. |
b. fig. to gild the pill: to soften or tone down something unpleasant (from the practice of gilding a bitter pill so that it may be more easily swallowed).
| 1625 [see pill n.2 1 b]. 1674 Boyle Excell. Theol. i. iii. 88 The inward gratulations of conscience for having done our duties is able to gild the bitterest pills. 1685 Gracian's Courtier's Orac. 189 Princes are not cured by bitter Medicines. It requires art to guild their Pill. 1857 Trollope Barchester T. xxvi, It gilded the pill which Mr. Slope had to administer. |
† c. To cover with (a specified) metal (see quot.). Obs.
| 1623 Cockeram ii, To Gild with golde, inaurate: to Gild with siluer, inargentate. |
d. Used transf. for To smear (with blood). Common in 16–17th c.
| 1595 Shakes. John ii. i. 316 Their Armours that march'd hence so siluer bright Hither returne all gilt with French⁓mens blood. 1605 ― Macb. ii. ii. 56 If he doe bleed, Ile guild the Faces of the Groomes withall, For it must seeme their Guilt. 1615 Markham Pleas. Princes (1635) 42 That Cocke..every time he..draweth blood of his adversary, guilding (as they terme it) his spurres in blood. 1632 Heywood 2nd Pt. Iron Age iii. E 4 b, We haue guilt our Greekish armes With blood of their owne nation. 1816 Byron Siege Cor. xxv, Swords with blood were gilt. |
† 2. Alch. To impregnate (a liquid) with gold. Also intr. for refl. Obs.
| 1460–70 Bk. Quintessence 7 The science how ȝe schule gilde..by brennynge watir or wiyn..wherby þe water or þe wiyn schal take to it myȝtily þe influence & þe vertues of fyne gold. 1666 Boyle Orig. Formes & Qual. 373, I dropp'd into the Yellow Liquor afforded me by the Elevated Gold, a convenient quantity of clean running Mercury, which was immediately colour'd with a Golden colour'd Filme, and shaking it to and fro, till the Menstruum would guild no more, when [etc.]. 1684–5 ― Min. Waters Contents, A Mineral Water..considered as being gilt in its Channel or Receptacles. |
3. fig. To supply with gold or money; esp. (with mixture of sense 5) to make reputable or attractive by supplying with money.
| 1584 R. Scot Discov. Witchcr. ii. x. 35 There is no waie to escape the inquisitors hands..but to gild their hands with monie. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. ii. vi. 49, I will make fast the doores and guild my selfe With some more ducats. 1603 Dekker Grissil (Shaks. Soc.) 14 I'll gild that poverty, and make it shine With beams of dignitie. 1875 Merivale Gen. Hist. Rome xxvi. (1877) 185 The missions of proconsuls and propraetors..were gilded, not indeed, with fixed salaries, but by gifts from states and potentates. 1890 Besant Demoniac iii. 29 The Thanets are new people, as everybody knows. Yet not so very new; and their novelty is gilded. |
b. said of the money itself.
| c 1613 Rowlands Paire Spy-Knaves 1 Their gold and siluer gildeth them so well, They are the best in Parish where they dwell. 1842 Tennyson Locksley Hall 62 Cursed be the gold that gilds the straitened forehead of the fool. |
4. To cover or tinge with a golden colour or light (said esp. of the sun).
| 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. ii. i. 6 The golden Sunne..hauing gilt the Ocean with his beames Gallops the Zodiacke. 1616 Chapman Musæus 391 No torches gilt the honor'd nuptial bed. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 503 Stars..shooting through the darkness, guild the Night With sweeping Glories, and long trails of Light. 1792 S. Rogers Pleas. Mem. ii. 25 Memory..Like yon fair orb, she gilds the brow of night With the mild magic of reflected light. 1821 Byron Juan iii. Isles of Greece i, Eternal summer gilds them yet, But all, except their sun, is set. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. II. iii. 47 The crests of the northeast headland were gilded by true sunshine. |
b. To adorn with a golden colour or appearance.
| 1703 Maundrell Journ. Jerus. (1721) 40 The walks are shaded with Orange Trees..They were..guilded with Fruit. 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. I. 140 Cowslips are gilding the plain. |
5. fig. To adorn with a fair appearance or show of beauty: esp. to give a specious brilliance or lustre to (actions or things) by the use of fair words.
| 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, v. iv. 162 If a lye may do thee grace Ile gild it with the happiest tearmes I haue. 1635 Quarles Embl. i. iv. (1718) 18 Proclaiming bad for good, and gilding death with pleasure. 1660 Hickeringill Jamaica viewed (1661) 77 All plausible Pretexts that witty usurpation doth use to colour and gild blacker Designes. 1713 Lond. Gaz. No. 5127/5 Poisonous Prefaces (..gilded with the specious Pretence of Zeal). 1775 Sheridan Rivals Epil., Love gilds the scene. 1822 Shelley Hellas 454 A rebel's crime gilt with a rebel's tongue! 1862 Merivale Rom. Emp. (1865) V. xlii. 147 Such a death at least doubly gilds his virtues. 1879 Froude Cæsar xii. 148 Cicero had prepared a speech in which he had gilded his own performances with all his eloquence. |
† 6. To impart a brilliant colour or flush to (the face; cf. quots. 1618, 1683 in sense 7). Obs.
| 1610 Shakes. Temp. v. i. 280 Trinculo is reeling ripe: where should they Finde this grand Liquor that hath gilded 'em. |
7. to gild over: to cover with gilding, so as to conceal defects; chiefly fig. (= sense 5). † Also, to make somewhat drunk (cf. sense 6).
| 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, i. ii. 169 Your daies seruice at Shrewsbury hath a little gilded ouer your Nights exploit on Gads-hill. 1618 Fletcher Chances iv. iii, Duke. Is she not drunk too? Con. A little gilded o'er. 1648 Hunting of Fox 45 Counterfeit coyn, sleightly gilded over. 1677 Gilpin Demonol. (1867) 161 Satan's second care for the advancement of error..is to gild it over with specious pretences. 1683 Kennett tr. Erasm. on Folly 1 All their countenances were guilded o're with a liuely, sparkling pleasantness. 1815 Hortensia i. iii, Beauty gilds Her vices o'er, which more securely harm. |
▪ V. † gild, v.2 Hist. rare.
Also guild.
[var. geld v.2: see gild n.2]
intr. To pay taxes.
| a 1645 Habington Surv. Worc. in Worc. Hist. Soc. Proc. ii. 254 William de Bellicampo in Eastwood..Gildeth..Of the demeanes syx Acres which gyld not. 1746 S. Simpson Compl. Eng. Traveller I. 300 This Town [Ilfracombe], in the Confessor's Days, guilded after one Hide, and one Farthing of Land. |
▪ VI. gild(e
var. guild; obs. f. geld v.1, gilded ppl. a.