I. ˈgel(d) adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse geldr; akin to Old English gelde barren, sterile, Old High German galt, Old Norse gelda to castrate — more at geld II
dialect chiefly England , of an animal : not producing young : barren , sterile
II. ˈgeld transitive verb
( gelded -ldə̇d ; also gelt -lt ; gelded also gelt ; gelding ; gelds )
Etymology: Middle English gelden, from Old Norse gelda; akin to Old English gelte young sow, Old High German galza, gelza castrated swine, Old Norse göltr, galti boar, Middle Welsh geleu, gelyf knife, Greek gallos priest of Cybele, eunuch, Sanskrit hala plow; basic meaning: cutting
1. : castrate , emasculate ; also : spay
2. : to remove the husks and chaff from : prune
3.
a. : deprive , excise
a man gelded of his wages
b. : to lessen the force of
geld an argument
c. : expurgate
geld a book
III. noun
also gelt -lt
( -s )
Etymology: Old English gield, geld, gild service, sacrifice, tax, tribute; akin to Old High German gelt retribution, compensation, income, value, Old Norse gjald tribute, payment, retribution, Gothic gild tax, Old English gieldan to pay, pay for — more at yield
: the crown tax paid under Anglo-Saxon and Norman kings ; also : a division of people or territory paying it
IV. ˈgeld verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
: to levy a geld on
intransitive verb
: to pay geld