golden

• goulden (obsolete)

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɡəʊl.dən/, [ˈɡɒʊ̯ɫ.dn̩]
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡoʊl.dən/, [ˈɡəɫ.dn̩]

• Audio (US, California)

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• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -əʊldən
• Hyphenation: gol‧den

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.

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 colour 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

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     O Partridge! could I hope once again to see that face; but, alas! all those golden dreams are vanished for ever, and my only refuge from future misery is to forget the object of all my former happiness.

5. Advantageous or very favourable.

   This is a golden opportunity

   • 2011 October 20, Jamie Lillywhite, “Tottenham 1 - 0 Rubin Kazan”, in BBC Sport‎:

     ... 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.

• (color of or like gold): see goldish § Synonyms

golden (plural goldens)

1. 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.

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

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

1. (intransitive) To become gold or golden (in colour).
2. (transitive) To make golden or like gold.
   • 1994, Marion H. Hedges, Iron City:

     It goldened, as nothing else goldened, the commonplace countryside.

• Delong, dongle, longed

• Audio

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• Rhymes: -ɔldən

golden

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

• dongel, gondel

• gülden (archaic, poetic)
• gulden, gölden (obsolete)

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.

• IPA^(key): /ɡɔldən/

• audio (Germany)

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• audio (Germany)

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• audio (Austria)

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• Hyphenation: gol‧den

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

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

• (in predicative use) aus Gold
• (in attributive use) Gold-

• “golden” in Duden online
• “golden” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

• goldene, goldyn, goldin, goldun, goldyng, goldein, gowuldyn, colden, coldin

From gilden, reformed by analogy with gold.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɔldən/, /ˈɡoːldən/

golden

1. Formed from gold.
2. Decorated or covered with gold.
3. Having a golden colour.
4. (figurative) Of excellent quality or worth; precious, best.

• English: golden
• Scots: gowden

• gilden

• “gōlden, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 27 April 2018.

golden

1. golden

golden f (plural golden)

1. Golden Delicious