Definition of "gilding" []

• The art or process of applying gilt to a surface. (noun)
• Gold leaf or a paint containing or simulating gold; gilt. (noun)
• Something used to give a superficially attractive appearance. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "This final act of generosity is what she calls gilding the lily."
• "The phrase gilding the lily comes to mind but it's more like drenching- in pure picante goodness!"
• "WASHINGTON was old, dignified and wealthy; and these factitious advantages, never to be despised in gilding a contemporary renown, possessed, unquestionably, a greater influence upon the men of his times, than they would exert among us to-day."