geld

¹

[ geld ]

verb (used with object)

, geld·ed or gelt, geld·ing.

1. to castrate (an animal, especially a horse).
2. to take strength, vitality, or power from; weaken or subdue.

geld

²

[ geld ]

noun

, English History.

1. a payment; tax.
2. a tax paid to the crown by landholders under the Anglo-Saxon and Norman kings.

geld

¹

/ ɡɛld /

verb

1. to castrate (a horse or other animal)
2. to deprive of virility or vitality; emasculate; weaken

geld

²

/ ɡɛld /

noun

1. a tax on land levied in late Anglo-Saxon and Norman England

Derived Forms

• ˈgelder, noun

Other Words From

• gelder noun
• un·gelded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of geld¹

1250–1300; Middle English gelden < Old Norse gelda

Origin of geld²

1600–10; < Medieval Latin geldum payment, tribute < Germanic; compare Old English geld, German Geld

Word History and Origins

Origin of geld¹

C13: from Old Norse gelda, from geldr barren

Origin of geld²

Old English gield service, tax; related to Old Norse gjald tribute, Old Frisian jeld, Old High German gelt retribution, income

Example Sentences

Police arrested 118 people on the day of the race, in which the gelding Hill Sixteen suffered a fatal injury.

From BBC

Danish, fresh from politically gelding Roy in public, recognizes this advantage too.

From Salon

The 5-year-old gelding has been pretty good at Santa Anita, though, winning four of his six lifetime starts at the track.

From Los Angeles Times

Tax Code, a well-bred 4-year-old gelding owned by Mischief Racing, has won two of three races this season against strong competition.

From Seattle Times

The gelding’s death was the 37th at the track in 2018-19, which led to a spate of safety reforms.

From Washington Times