aurous

American  

[awr-uhs] / ˈɔr əs /

adjective

1. Chemistry. of or containing gold in the univalent state.

2. of or containing gold.

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aurous British  

/ ˈɔːrəs /

adjective

1. of or containing gold, esp in the monovalent state

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Etymology

Origin of aurous

First recorded in 1860–65; aur- ¹ + -ous

Explanation

Something that's aurous is made of gold. You could describe your favorite gold necklace as aurous, but you might sound more like a scientist than a jeweler if you do so. While you can use the adjective aurous to describe something that contains or is made of gold, it is most commonly used in scientific language that mentions the chemical compositions of elements made of or derived from gold. A chemical compound that contains gold is an "aurous compound," for example. Aurous comes from the Latin word aurum, or "gold," and its chemical symbol is Au.

Example Sentences

Despite the loss, the United States entered the 2022 Winter Games with aurous dreams and remains hopeful after a strong start in Beijing.

From Washington Post • Feb. 13, 2022

The reasons: a new arts festival and a new art museum�both resulting from the aurous determination of Multi-millionaire Walter P. Chrysler Jr., 47.

From Time Magazine Archive

Gilt-lanterns hang out of windows, casting an aurous glow over all the buildings.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

When freshly prepared it dissolves in cold water to form an indigo-coloured solution with a brownish fluorescence of colloidal aurous oxide; it is insoluble in hot water.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 2 "Gloss" to "Gordon, Charles George" by Various

Gold dichloride, probably Au2Cl4, = Au�AuCl4, aurous chloraurate, is said to be obtained as a dark-red mass by heating finely divided gold to 140�-170� in chlorine.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 2 "Gloss" to "Gordon, Charles George" by Various