gild /ɡɪld/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: gyldan ]
1 . to cover something with a thin layer of gold or with something that looks like gold:
a gilded frame
2 . literary to make something look as if it is covered in gold:
The autumn sun gilded the lake.
3 . gild the lily to spoil something by trying to improve it when it is already good enough