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  Chrysaetos}) 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 dOr}.

   {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 {Chrysochloridae}, 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 aestiva}); -- called also {blue-eyed yellow  warbler}, {garden warbler}, and {summer yellow bird}.

   {Golden wasp} (Zool.), a bright-colored hymenopterous insect,
      of the family {Chrysididae}. The colors are golden,
      blue, and green.

   {Golden wedding}. See under {Wedding}.
      
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