Gelt

/ɡɛlt/ noun

Definition

Money, especially coins or cash; also a Yiddish word commonly associated with Hanukkah chocolate coins given as gifts to children.

Etymology

From Yiddish 'gelt', derived from German 'Geld' (money), which comes from Old High German roots meaning 'payment' or 'compensation'.

Kelly Says

Gelt is one of the best examples of Yiddish words becoming mainstream English—everyone knows about eating gelt during Hanukkah now! The word jumped from German → Yiddish → English through Jewish culture and tradition.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.