A thin layer of gold or gold-like substance applied to a surface for decoration, or something covered with such material. Also refers to young female pigs or gilt-edged securities.
From Middle English, past participle of 'gilden' (to gild), from Old English 'gyldan.' The word shares roots with 'gold' through Germanic languages. The financial meaning (gilt-edged securities) developed from the gold trim on high-quality bond certificates.
The connection between decorative gilding and financial securities reveals how physical symbols of value become abstract concepts of worth. Gilt-edged bonds earned their name from literal gold decoration, showing how material luxury signals became metaphors for economic security.
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