Middle English Dictionary Entry
gōlden adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | gōlden adj. Also goldein, golding, colden. |
| Etymology | From gōld n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. gilden adj.
1.
(a) Made of gold, consisting of gold; (b) of gold in the form of money; ~ pound, the gold pound; ~ salve, financial aid.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)4251 : Þat was..þe forste man þe goldene croune dude him on.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)22762 : Water me brohte..mid goldene bole.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3291 : He golden apples rafte of the dragoun.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Jer.51.7 : A goldene chalis [L Calix aureus] of Babiloyne in the hond of the Lord.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2506 : The fomy steedes on the golden brydel Gnawynge.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.63 : Hanibal..sente þre busshelles of golden rynges..into Cartage.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)231a/b : The vtter syde of þe crowne oþer myter was a cercle of gold..and vpon þe cercle stood golden floures liche to planteyne.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6503 : A goldin [Trin-C: colden] calf þar-of þai blu.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9162 : Helias was..Translated in a golden [Frf: coldin] chiare.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.590 : Þe goldene applys he bare fro þe dragoun.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Is.3.18 : In that dai the Lord schal take awei the ournement of schoon, and goldun litle bellis lijk the moone.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.m.7.39 : His hand was the more hevy for the goldene metal.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1723 : He gan blowe her loos..In his golden clarioun.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)667 : The wethir was..away borne, The grete goldyn flese with a greke noble.
- a1500 Gloss Dict.Garland (Hrl 1002)128 : Criseas [glossed:] goldyn.
b
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)1245 : I am so drad of monyes scantnesse..Wisseth me how to gete a golden salue.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)417 : They wyll it profre..To be paid agayne..By iiij penyes losse in the noble rounde, That is xij penyes in the golden pounde.
- a1500 Swet Ihesus is cum (BodPoet e.1)p.59 : Judas hym sold For thyrty golden pence.
2.
Made partly of gold: (a) ~ thred, ~ wir, fine gold wire (or silver wire gilded), gold thread; (b) embroidered or brocaded with gold thread; made of cloth of gold; (c) adorned with gold; ?inlaid with gold, ?gilded; (d) ~ lettre(s, letters made with gold leaf or other gold pigment.
Associated quotations
a
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)267 : Hyre gilte heres with a golden thred Ibounden were.
- c1440 Chaucer CT.Mk.(Cmb Ii.3.26)B.3554 : Golden [Heng: gilte cheynes on hire nekke].
- c1460 Chaucer CT.Mk.(Roy 17.D.15)B.3665 : Golden [Heng: Nettes of gold threed hadde he].
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.1 : In Aquary, Citherea the clere Rynsid hir tressis like the goldin wyre.
b
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)2321 : And þis goldene rebaunde was taken from here þo.
- a1500 Eglam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)860 : Yn a scarlet mantelle fowndyn he was..And with a goldyn gyrdylle bowndyn.
c
- ?a1440 Chaucer CT.Kn.(Paris angl.39)A.2500 : Golden [Heng: Goldhewen helmes].
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)70/195 : At þe goldyn gate, þou xalte mete hym.
- a1425 Siege Jerus.(1) (Cmb Mm.5.14)546 : Golden [Ld: Alle briȝtned þe bent..Of þe gilden ger].
- a1500 St.Anne(3) (Tan 407)186 : 'Þu schal mete with thyn wyff at þe goldyng gate'..And aftyrward þe anngel..bad her gon..to þe gate of gold.
d
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)201 : Þare gan þai graithly þam graue in golden lettirs All þe wordis at he þaim werpid.
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)2793 : His boke he openet forto se And fonde..'virgyn' writen..With golden letter.
3.
Having the color of gold, golden, yellow; shining like gold.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)126a/b : Now he [þe dawinge] schewiþ ȝelowe [L croceum] colour, now reed [L purpureum], and now goldene [L aureum] colour.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)198b/a : Þe colour þerof is demed golden by day and fyry by night.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)17865 : Brathli þar brast a golden [vr. goldein] leme, Brighter þan ani sunes beme.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3320 : The tyme aprocheþ whan þe sonne schene His golden wayn whirlid vp atwene Þe clere sterris.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.595 : And ay she rent with hir fyngeris smale Hir golden here.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.m.8.5 : Phebus, the sonne, with his goldene chariet bryngeth forth the rosene day.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.830 : The pomly gray [horse], for hym y vndirtake, The gray, the goldenhered, and the scued.
- c1450 My ladyes (Frf 16)67 : Your roncled face and your rawe eyen tweyne, Your shrunkyn lyppis and your gowuldyn tethe.
- c1470 Chaucer CT.Mch.(Phys-L 388)E.2220 : Golden [Heng: of gold].
- a1500 Lydg.Guy (Hrl 7333)289 : Golden beemys [Ld: briht Phebus, with his gold-tressed bemys].
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.46 : I sall write Toward hir goldin hair.
4.
Gold-bearing, full of gold.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)154a/b : In þis ryuer is moche golden grauel.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)186a/a : Ophir..was some tyme yclepede terra aurea, þe golden londe, for þere in ben golden mounteyns [L montes aureos].
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.m.10.14 : Alle the thinges that the ryver Tagus yyveth yow with his goldene gravelis..ne scholden not cleren the lookynge of your thought.
5.
Fig. Golden, excellent, precious, best; ~ hour, the dawn, the time of greatest opportunity; ~ Verses, a book allegedly written by Pythagoras; ~ noumbre, the number of any year in the nineteen-year lunar cycle used in calculating Easter; ~ slep, the sleep preceding sunrise or six A. M.; ~ world, the Golden Age of the world; John with the ~ mouth, St. John Chrysostom.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)126a/a : The dawinge is ende of þe nyȝt þat passiþ..and hatte aurora, as Isidir seiþ, as it were a goldene houre, for it sendiþ schinynge coloure as it were colour of golde.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5650 : Pictagoras hymsilf reherses In a book that 'The Golden Verses' [F Vers dores] I clepid, for the nobilite Of the honourable ditee.
- c1400 Wycl.Serm.(Dc 321:Arnold)1.377 : Golden [Bod: Joon..wiþ þe gildene mouþ].
- (?1430) Calendar 1430 Pref.(Hrl 937)90 : Ȝour pryme schal be to ȝow a specyal doctour of dyverse conclusyons, querfore in latyn he is clepyt þe golden nownbur and begynnyȝt at one and rennyth to xix and turnyth aȝayn to one.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.1209 : This goldene world long while did endure.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.911 : Thus he hangeth heuy slouthe in his eye..And telleth hym that is the golden slepe: 'And if thow arise now, it might do the harme.'
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)410 : Of þis goldun bileue shulden prestis take þis reule of crist þat poul ȝyueþ to tymothe..'hauynge fode & oþere þyngis bi whiche we ben skilefuly keuerid, be we payed wiþ þes two.'
- a1500(?a1449) ?Lydg.Diet.Interpol.(Lnsd 699)91 : All this processe concludith vp[on] tyme..Temperat diet, kyndly digestioun, The golden sleep braidyng vpon pryme.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.58 : Sluggart, for schame! lo here thy goldin houre, That worth were hale all thy lyvis laboure.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)81/137 : The same sees maketh smothe waters and golden sayling.
6.
As surname.
Associated quotations
- (1298) Pat.R.Edw.I362 : John le Goldene.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 2.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. golden thread.