gold-dust

A prospector carefully pans for gold-dust in a shallow river.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Fine particles of gold: "gold-dust" refers to gold in the form of very small pieces or powder, often found in alluvial deposits or as a byproduct of mining.
   • Something precious or valuable: In figurative use, "gold-dust" can denote anything highly sought after or considered extremely valuable.

Usage Examples

• Literal:
  • The prospectors panned for gold-dust in the riverbed. (They searched for fine gold particles in the stream.)
  • A tiny amount of gold-dust can be worth a great deal of money. (Small quantities of powdered gold have high monetary value.)
• Figurative:
  • In the world of rare books, first editions are like gold-dust. (First editions are extremely rare and valuable.)
  • Her advice was pure gold-dust to the young entrepreneur. (Her advice was extremely precious and helpful.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be worth its weight in gold-dust": to be extremely valuable.
  • A reliable mechanic is worth his weight in gold-dust. (A trustworthy mechanic is incredibly valuable.)
• "gold-dust moments": rare and precious instances.
  • Those quiet evenings with family are gold-dust moments. (Those rare, cherished times are extremely precious.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gold dust (n, often written as two words): the same meaning as "gold-dust".
  • The jeweler used gold dust to create the intricate design. (He used fine gold particles for the artwork.)
• Dust (n): fine, dry particles of matter.
  • The table was covered in a layer of dust. (Fine particles of dirt.)

Synonyms

• Gold powder: gold in the form of fine particles.
• Alluvial gold: gold found in riverbeds or sediments.
• Treasure (figurative): something of great value or worth.

Related Idioms

• "Gold dust": often used idiomatically to mean something scarce and precious.
  • Tickets for the concert were like gold dust. (Tickets were extremely hard to find and highly desired.)

Usage Notes

• "Gold-dust" is typically used in its literal sense in mining or jewelry contexts. The figurative use is common in British English to describe anything rare and valuable, such as .