-gil-

prop. n. William Schwenk Gilbert, an English dramatist born at London Nov. 18, 1836. He is most famous for his collaborations with Sir Arthur Sullivan on a number of humorous light operas which are known as “Gilbert and Sullivan Operas”. His first play was “Dulcamara” (1866). He also wrote “The Palace of Truth” (1870), “Pygmalion and Galatea” (1871), “Sweethearts” (1874), “Engaged” (1877), “The Mountebanks” (1891), and in collaboration with Sir A. Sullivan (who wrote the music), he wrote “The Sorcerer” (1877), “H. M. S. Pinafore” (1878), “The Pirates of Penzance” (1879), “Patience” (1881), “Iolanthe” (1883), “The Mikado” (1885), “Ruddygore” (1887), “The Yeomen of the Guard” (1888), “The Gondoliers” (1889), and “Utopia, limited” (1893). The light operas proved very popular and continue to be performed over one hundred years later. He also published other works. [ Century Dict. 1906 +PJC ]

William Schwenk Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan, who collaborated on a number of light operas. See Gilbert. [ PJC ]

prop. a. 1. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the style of William S. Gilbert; as, Gilbertian libretti. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. Wildly comic and improbable, as in Gilbert and Sullivan operas; as, Gilbertian coincidences. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a Gilbertian world people with foundlings and changelings. T. C. Worsley [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Gilded or Gilt (&unr_;); p. pr. & vb. n. Gilding. ] [ AS. gyldan, from gold gold. √234. See Gold. ] 1. To overlay with a thin covering of gold; to cover with a golden color; to cause to look like gold. “Gilded chariots.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

No more the rising sun shall gild the morn. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make attractive; to adorn; to brighten. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let oft good humor, mild and gay,
Gild the calm evening of your day. Trumbull. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To give a fair but deceptive outward appearance to; to embellish; as, to gild a lie. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To make red with drinking. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

This grand liquior that hath gilded them. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. gilgan to pay + E. ale. See Yield, v. t., and Ale. ] A drinking bout in which every one pays an equal share. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Gilded. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who gilds; one whose occupation is to overlay with gold. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A Dutch coin. See Guilder. [ 1913 Webster ]