from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Golden \Gold"en\ (g[=o]ld"'n), a. [OE. golden; cf. OE. gulden,
AS. gylden, from gold. See {Gold}, and cf. {Guilder}.]
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1. Made of gold; consisting of gold.
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2. Having the color of gold; as, the golden grain.
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3. Very precious; highly valuable; excellent; eminently
auspicious; as, golden opinions.
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{Golden age}.
(a) The fabulous age of primeval simplicity and purity of
manners in rural employments, followed by the {silver
age}, {bronze age}, and {iron age}. --Dryden.
(b) (Roman Literature) The best part (B. C. 81 -- A. D.
14) of the classical period of Latinity; the time when
Cicero, C[ae]sar, Virgil, etc., wrote. Hence:
(c) That period in the history of a literature, etc., when
it flourishes in its greatest purity or attains its
greatest glory; as, the Elizabethan age has been
considered the golden age of English literature.
{Golden balls}, three gilt balls used as a sign of a
pawnbroker's office or shop; -- originally taken from the
coat of arms of Lombardy, the first money lenders in
London having been Lombards.
{Golden bull}. See under {Bull}, an edict.
{Golden chain} (Bot.), the shrub {Cytisus Laburnum}, so named
from its long clusters of yellow blossoms.
{Golden club} (Bot.), an aquatic plant ({Orontium
aquaticum}), bearing a thick spike of minute yellow
flowers.
{Golden cup} (Bot.), the buttercup.
{Golden eagle} (Zool.), a large and powerful eagle ({Aquila
Chrysa["e]tos}) inhabiting Europe, Asia, and North
America. It is so called from the brownish yellow tips of
the feathers on the head and neck. A dark variety is
called the {royal eagle}; the young in the second year is
the {ring-tailed eagle}.
{Golden fleece}.
(a) (Mythol.) The fleece of gold fabled to have been taken
from the ram that bore Phryxus through the air to
Colchis, and in quest of which Jason undertook the
Argonautic expedition.
(b) (Her.) An order of knighthood instituted in 1429 by
Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy; -- called also
{Toison d'Or}.
{Golden grease}, a bribe; a fee. [Slang]
{Golden hair} (Bot.), a South African shrubby composite plant
with golden yellow flowers, the {Chrysocoma Coma-aurea}.
{Golden Horde} (Hist.), a tribe of Mongolian Tartars who
overran and settled in Southern Russia early in the 18th
century.
{Golden Legend}, a hagiology (the "Aurea Legenda") written by
James de Voragine, Archbishop of Genoa, in the 13th
century, translated and printed by Caxton in 1483, and
partially paraphrased by Longfellow in a poem thus
entitled.
{Golden marcasite} tin. [Obs.]
{Golden mean}, the way of wisdom and safety between extremes;
sufficiency without excess; moderation.
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Angels guard him in the golden mean. --Pope.
{Golden mole} (Zool), one of several South African
Insectivora of the family {Chrysochlorid[ae]}, resembling
moles in form and habits. The fur is tinted with green,
purple, and gold.
{Golden number} (Chronol.), a number showing the year of the
lunar or Metonic cycle. It is reckoned from 1 to 19, and
is so called from having formerly been written in the
calendar in gold.
{Golden oriole}. (Zool.) See {Oriole}.
{Golden pheasant}. See under {Pheasant}.
{Golden pippin}, a kind of apple, of a bright yellow color.
{Golden plover} (Zool.), one of several species of plovers,
of the genus {Charadrius}, esp. the European ({Charadrius
apricarius}, syn. {Charadrius pluvialis}; -- called also
{yellow plover}, {black-breasted plover}, {hill plover},
and {whistling plover}. The common American species
({Charadrius dominicus}) is also called {frostbird}, and
{bullhead}.
{Golden robin}. (Zool.) See {Baltimore oriole}, in Vocab.
{Golden rose} (R. C. Ch.), a gold or gilded rose blessed by
the pope on the fourth Sunday in Lent, and sent to some
church or person in recognition of special services
rendered to the Holy See.
{Golden rule}.
(a) The rule of doing as we would have others do to us.
Cf. --Luke vi. 31.
(b) The rule of proportion, or rule of three.
{Golden samphire} (Bot.), a composite plant ({Inula
crithmoides}), found on the seashore of Europe.
{Golden saxifrage} (Bot.), a low herb with yellow flowers
({Chrysosplenium oppositifolium}), blossoming in wet
places in early spring.
{Golden seal} (Bot.), a perennial ranunculaceous herb
({Hydrastis Canadensis}), with a thick knotted rootstock
and large rounded leaves.
{Golden sulphide of antimony}, or {Golden sulphuret of
antimony} (Chem.), the pentasulphide of antimony, a golden or
orange yellow powder.
{Golden warbler} (Zool.), a common American wood warbler
({Dendroica [ae]stiva}); -- called also {blue-eyed yellow
warbler}, {garden warbler}, and {summer yellow bird}.
{Golden wasp} (Zool.), a bright-colored hymenopterous insect,
of the family {Chrysidid[ae]}. The colors are golden,
blue, and green.
{Golden wedding}. See under {Wedding}.
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