— gold-star , adj.
1. a gold-colored star displayed, as on a service flag, to indicate that a member of one's family, organization, or the like, was killed in war as a member of the armed forces.
2. Informal.
a. symbolic approval or recognition for outstanding merit or effort: You get the gold star for cooking such a gourmet dinner.
b. anything that represents an outstanding effort or achievement: Her promotion was the gold star she'd been working for.
[ 1920-25, Amer. ]