ˈȯ(r)məˌlü noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: French or moulu, literally, ground gold
1. archaic : gold ground for use in gilding ; also : metal gilded with ground gold
2. : a brass made to imitate gold and used in mounts for furniture and for other decorative purposes — called also mosaic gold
3. : something pretending to more than its real value or quality : something showy rather than genuine
some ormolu vocal numbers — Nat Hentoff
fiction relating inordinate and ormolu violence — Times Literary Supplement