golden goose noun

1. The fabled layer of golden eggs, killed by its over-greedy owner
2. (also the goose that lays the golden eggs) a source of profit (figurative)

golden handcuffs plural noun (informal)

A substantial personal financial incentive or stake specifically designed by a company to constrain a valued employee into remaining on its staff

golden handshake noun (informal)

A large sum of money, or some equivalent, given to an employee or member who retires or is otherwise forced to leave a firm, etc (also golden goodbye)

golden hello noun (informal)

A large sum given to a much-wanted new employee on joining a firm

Golden Horde noun

The Kipchaks, a Turkic people, whose empire was founded in central and southern Russia by Batu in the 13c

golden hour noun (medicine)

The period immediately following a serious injury, when skilled treatment is urgently required

golden jubilee noun

A 50th anniversary

Golden Legend noun

(L Legenda Aurea) a celebrated medieval collection of saints' lives, by Jacobus de Voragine (1230–98)

golden mean noun

1. The middle way between extremes
2. Moderation
3. Golden section (qv below)

golden mole noun

Any of several bronze-coloured S African insectivores of the family Chrysochloridae, which look superficially like moles

golden number noun

A number marking the position of a year in the Metonic cycle of nineteen years

golden oldie noun (informal)

1. A song, recording, motion picture, etc issued some considerable time ago and still popular
2. A person who remains successful at a relatively advanced age

golden opportunity noun

A very favourable one

golden orfe noun

An ornamental yellowish-orange freshwater fish, kept in aquariums and ponds

golden parachute noun (informal)

An unusually lavish cash payment to a senior member of a firm on his or her dismissal following a takeover

golden pheasant noun

An orig Chinese species of pheasant, the male of which has a golden-yellow crown and lower back and orange-red breast and underparts

golden plover noun

A plover with yellow-speckled feathers

golden rectangle noun

One in which the ratio of width to length is the same as that of length to the sum of width and length

golden retriever noun

A breed of retriever with a thick, wavy, golden-coloured coat

golden rice noun

A genetically modified strain of rice, designed to provide increased levels of vitamin A

goldˈenrod noun

Any plant of the composite genus Solidago, with rodlike stems and yellow heads crowded along the branches

golden rose noun

An ornamental spray of roses made of wrought gold, blessed by the Pope on the fourth Sunday in Lent, sometimes presented to a dignitary or monarch in recognition of a special service

golden rule noun

1. The precept that one should treat others as one would wish to be treated by them
2. A rule of the first importance, a guiding principle
3. A rule of statutory interpretation, which allows the court to depart from a strict and literal interpretation of a statute where this would lead to an absurd result (law)

golden salmon noun

The S American dorado

golden saxifrage noun

A greenish-yellow plant (genus Chrysosplenium) of the saxifrage family

golden seal noun

1. A N American ranunculaceous plant (Hydrastis canadensis)
2. Its yellow rhizome, used in medicine

golden section noun

Division of a line so that one segment is to the other as that to the whole

golden share noun

A large share in a company, etc held by an institution or (often) a government, which prevents takeover by another company

Golden State noun (informal)

California

golden syrup see under syrup

golden wattle noun

Any of various kinds of yellow-flowered Australian acacia, esp Acacia pycnantha

golden wedding see under wed

golden years plural noun

1. A time of great prosperity
2. The period of one's life after retirement (euphem)