Gold \Gold\ (g[=o]ld), n. [AS. gold; akin to D. goud, OS. & G.
   gold, Icel. gull, Sw. & Dan. guld, Goth. gul[thorn], Russ. &
   OSlav. zlato; prob. akin to E. yellow. [root]49, 234. See
   Yellow, and cf. Gild, v. t.]
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   1. (Chem.) A metallic element of atomic number 79,
      constituting the most precious metal used as a common
      commercial medium of exchange. It has a characteristic
      yellow color, is one of the heaviest substances known
      (specific gravity 19.32), is soft, and very malleable and
      ductile. It is quite unalterable by heat (melting point
      1064.4[deg] C), moisture, and most corrosive agents, and
      therefore well suited for its use in coin and jewelry.
      Symbol Au (Aurum). Atomic weight 196.97.
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   Note: Native gold contains usually eight to ten per cent of
         silver, but often much more. As the amount of silver
         increases, the color becomes whiter and the specific
         gravity lower. Gold is very widely disseminated, as in
         the sands of many rivers, but in very small quantity.
         It usually occurs in quartz veins (gold quartz), in
         slate and metamorphic rocks, or in sand and alluvial
         soil, resulting from the disintegration of such rocks.
         It also occurs associated with other metallic
         substances, as in auriferous pyrites, and is combined
         with tellurium in the minerals petzite, calaverite,
         sylvanite, etc. Pure gold is too soft for ordinary use,
         and is hardened by alloying with silver and copper, the
         latter giving a characteristic reddish tinge. [See
         Carat.] Gold also finds use in gold foil, in the
         pigment purple of Cassius, and in the chloride, which
         is used as a toning agent in photography.
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   2. Money; riches; wealth.
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            For me, the gold of France did not seduce. --Shak.
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   3. A yellow color, like that of the metal; as, a flower
      tipped with gold.
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   4. Figuratively, something precious or pure; as, hearts of
      gold. --Shak.
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   Age of gold. See Golden age, under Golden.

   Dutch gold, Fool's gold, Gold dust, etc. See under
      Dutch, Dust, etc.

   Gold amalgam, a mineral, found in Columbia and California,
      composed of gold and mercury.

   Gold beater, one whose occupation is to beat gold into gold
      leaf.

   Gold beater's skin, the prepared outside membrane of the
      large intestine of the ox, used for separating the leaves
      of metal during the process of gold-beating.

   Gold beetle (Zool.), any small gold-colored beetle of the
      family Chrysomelid[ae]; -- called also golden beetle.
      

   Gold blocking, printing with gold leaf, as upon a book
      cover, by means of an engraved block. --Knight.

   Gold cloth. See Cloth of gold, under Cloth.

   Gold Coast, a part of the coast of Guinea, in West Africa.
      

   Gold cradle. (Mining) See Cradle, n., 7.

   Gold diggings, the places, or region, where gold is found
      by digging in sand and gravel from which it is separated
      by washing.

   Gold end, a fragment of broken gold or jewelry.

   Gold-end man.
      (a) A buyer of old gold or jewelry.
      (b) A goldsmith's apprentice.
      (c) An itinerant jeweler. "I know him not: he looks like a
          gold-end man." --B. Jonson.

   Gold fever, a popular mania for gold hunting.

   Gold field, a region in which are deposits of gold.

   Gold finder.
      (a) One who finds gold.
      (b) One who empties privies. [Obs. & Low] --Swift.

   Gold flower, a composite plant with dry and persistent
      yellow radiating involucral scales, the Helichrysum
      St[oe]chas of Southern Europe. There are many South
      African species of the same genus.

   Gold foil, thin sheets of gold, as used by dentists and
      others. See Gold leaf.

   Gold knobs or Gold knoppes (Bot.), buttercups.

   Gold lace, a kind of lace, made of gold thread.

   Gold latten, a thin plate of gold or gilded metal.

   Gold leaf, gold beaten into a film of extreme thinness, and
      used for gilding, etc. It is much thinner than gold foil.
      

   Gold lode (Mining), a gold vein.

   Gold mine, a place where gold is obtained by mining
      operations, as distinguished from diggings, where it is
      extracted by washing. Cf. Gold diggings (above).

   Gold nugget, a lump of gold as found in gold mining or
      digging; -- called also a pepito.

   Gold paint. See Gold shell.

   Gold pheasant, or Golden pheasant. (Zool.) See under
      Pheasant.

   Gold plate, a general name for vessels, dishes, cups,
      spoons, etc., made of gold.

   Mosaic gold. See under Mosaic.
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Pheasant \Pheas"ant\ (f[e^]z"ant), n. [OE. fesant, fesaunt, OF.
   faisant, faisan, F. faisan, L. phasianus, Gr. fasiano`s (sc.
   'o`rnis) the Phasian bird, pheasant, fr. Fa`sis a river in
   Colchis or Pontus.]
   1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of large gallinaceous
      birds of the genus Phasianus, and many other genera of
      the family Phasianid[ae], found chiefly in Asia.
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   Note: The

   common pheasant, or English pheasant (Phasianus
      Colchicus) is now found over most of temperate Europe,
      but was introduced from Asia. The

   ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus torquatus) and the

   green pheasant (Phasianus versicolor) have been
      introduced into Oregon. The

   golden pheasant (Thaumalea picta) is one of the most
      beautiful species. The

   silver pheasant (Euplocamus nychthemerus) of China, and
      several related species from Southern Asia, are very
      beautiful.
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   2. (Zool.) The ruffed grouse. [Southern U.S.]
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   Note: Various other birds are locally called pheasants, as
         the lyre bird, the leipoa, etc.
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   Fireback pheasant. See Fireback.

   Gold pheasant, or Golden pheasant (Zool.), a Chinese
      pheasant (Thaumalea picta), having rich, varied colors.
      The crest is amber-colored, the rump is golden yellow, and
      the under parts are scarlet.

   Mountain pheasant (Zool.), the ruffed grouse. [Local, U.S.]
      

   Pheasant coucal (Zool.), a large Australian cuckoo
      (Centropus phasianus). The general color is black, with
      chestnut wings and brown tail. Called also pheasant
      cuckoo. The name is also applied to other allied species.
      

   Pheasant duck. (Zool.)
      (a) The pintail.
      (b) The hooded merganser.

   Pheasant parrot (Zool.), a large and beautiful Australian
      parrakeet (Platycercus Adelaidensis). The male has the
      back black, the feathers margined with yellowish blue and
      scarlet, the quills deep blue, the wing coverts and cheeks
      light blue, the crown, sides of the neck, breast, and
      middle of the belly scarlet.

   Pheasant's eye. (Bot.)
      (a) A red-flowered herb (Adonis autumnalis) of the
          Crowfoot family; -- called also pheasant's-eye
          Adonis.
      (b) The garden pink (Dianthus plumarius); -- called also
          Pheasant's-eye pink.

   Pheasant shell (Zool.), any marine univalve shell of the
      genus Phasianella, of which numerous species are found
      in tropical seas. The shell is smooth and usually richly
      colored, the colors often forming blotches like those of a
      pheasant.

   Pheasant wood. (Bot.) Same as Partridge wood
      (a), under Partridge.

   Sea pheasant (Zool.), the pintail.

   Water pheasant. (Zool.)
      (a) The sheldrake.
      (b) The hooded merganser.
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