"fool's gold" meaning in English

See fool's gold in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Etymology: From the idea that the mineral fools people (especially those who are fools) into mistakenly thinking that they have found gold. Regarding minerals that were named for deceptive appearance that prompts confusion with others, compare also apatite. Etymology templates: {{l|en|fool#Verb|fools}} fools, {{l|en|fool#Noun|fools}} fools, {{l|en|gold#Noun|gold}} gold, {{l|en|apatite#Etymology|apatite}} apatite Head templates: {{en-noun|-}} fool's gold (uncountable)
  1. A mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold; mainly iron pyrite. Tags: uncountable Translations (mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold): or dels ximples [masculine] (Catalan), 愚人金 (yúrén jīn) (Chinese Mandarin), 假黃金 (Chinese Mandarin), 假黄金 (jiǎ huángjīn) (Chinese Mandarin), kočičí zlato [neuter] (Czech), narreguld [neuter] (Danish), gekkengoud (Dutch), kissankulta (Finnish), katinkulta (Finnish), or des fous [masculine] (French), Katzengold [neuter] (German), Narrengold [neuter] (German), σιδηροπυρίτης (sidiropyrítis) [masculine] (Greek), χαλκοπυρίτης (chalkopyrítis) [masculine] (Greek), bolondok aranya (Hungarian), glópagull [neuter] (Icelandic), oro di Bologna [masculine] (Italian), similoro [masculine] (Italian), oro degli stolti [masculine] (Italian), 愚か者の金 (orokamono no kin) (Japanese), 黄鉄鉱 (outekkou) (alt: おうてっこう) (Japanese), 바보의 금 (baboui geum) (Korean), ouro dos tolos [masculine] (Portuguese), oro de los tontos [masculine] (Spanish), oro de los pobres [masculine] (Spanish), kattguld [neuter] (Swedish), svavelkis [common-gender] (Swedish), pyrit [common-gender] (Swedish), ทองคนโง่ (tɔɔng-kon-ngôo) (Thai)
    Sense id: en-fool's_gold-en-noun-RecGAd0P Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English links with manual fragments, English links with redundant alt parameters Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 74 26 Disambiguation of English links with manual fragments: 72 28 Disambiguation of English links with redundant alt parameters: 73 27 Disambiguation of 'mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold': 98 2
  2. (figurative) Something worthless that deceptively seems valuable. Tags: figuratively, uncountable
    Sense id: en-fool's_gold-en-noun-D5zxo-01

Download JSON data for fool's gold meaning in English (6.8kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
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        "2": "fool#Verb",
        "3": "fools"
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      "args": {
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      "args": {
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        "2": "apatite#Etymology",
        "3": "apatite"
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      "expansion": "apatite",
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the idea that the mineral fools people (especially those who are fools) into mistakenly thinking that they have found gold. Regarding minerals that were named for deceptive appearance that prompts confusion with others, compare also apatite.",
  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {
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      "expansion": "fool's gold (uncountable)",
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
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        "A mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold; mainly iron pyrite."
      ],
      "id": "en-fool's_gold-en-noun-RecGAd0P",
      "links": [
        [
          "pyrite",
          "pyrite"
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      "tags": [
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      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "or dels ximples"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "yúrén jīn",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "word": "愚人金"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "word": "假黃金"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "jiǎ huángjīn",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "word": "假黄金"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "kočičí zlato"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "narreguld"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "word": "gekkengoud"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "word": "kissankulta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "word": "katinkulta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "or des fous"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Katzengold"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Narrengold"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "sidiropyrítis",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "σιδηροπυρίτης"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "chalkopyrítis",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "χαλκοπυρίτης"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "word": "bolondok aranya"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "glópagull"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "oro di Bologna"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "similoro"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "oro degli stolti"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "orokamono no kin",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "word": "愚か者の金"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "alt": "おうてっこう",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "outekkou",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "word": "黄鉄鉱"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "baboui geum",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "word": "바보의 금"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ouro dos tolos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "oro de los tontos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "oro de los pobres"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "kattguld"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "svavelkis"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "pyrit"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "roman": "tɔɔng-kon-ngôo",
          "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
          "word": "ทองคนโง่"
        }
      ]
    },
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      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2011, Ellen A. Ensher, Susan E. Murphy, Power Mentoring, page 50",
          "text": "Although many dot-com dreams turned to fool's gold in a short time, in reality, there are a number of entrepreneurial ventures that not only survived but thrived during and after the dot-com crash.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Something worthless that deceptively seems valuable."
      ],
      "id": "en-fool's_gold-en-noun-D5zxo-01",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) Something worthless that deceptively seems valuable."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "fool's gold"
  ],
  "word": "fool's gold"
}
{
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    "English lemmas",
    "English links with manual fragments",
    "English links with redundant alt parameters",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncountable nouns"
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  "etymology_text": "From the idea that the mineral fools people (especially those who are fools) into mistakenly thinking that they have found gold. Regarding minerals that were named for deceptive appearance that prompts confusion with others, compare also apatite.",
  "head_templates": [
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
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        "A mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold; mainly iron pyrite."
      ],
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        ]
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          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Something worthless that deceptively seems valuable."
      ],
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        "(figurative) Something worthless that deceptively seems valuable."
      ],
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        "figuratively",
        "uncountable"
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "or dels ximples"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "yúrén jīn",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "word": "愚人金"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "word": "假黃金"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "jiǎ huángjīn",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "word": "假黄金"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "kočičí zlato"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "narreguld"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "word": "gekkengoud"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "word": "kissankulta"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "word": "katinkulta"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "or des fous"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Katzengold"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Narrengold"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "sidiropyrítis",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "σιδηροπυρίτης"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "chalkopyrítis",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "χαλκοπυρίτης"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "word": "bolondok aranya"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "glópagull"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "oro di Bologna"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "similoro"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "oro degli stolti"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "orokamono no kin",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "word": "愚か者の金"
    },
    {
      "alt": "おうてっこう",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "outekkou",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "word": "黄鉄鉱"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "baboui geum",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "word": "바보의 금"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ouro dos tolos"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "oro de los tontos"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "oro de los pobres"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "kattguld"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "svavelkis"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "pyrit"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "roman": "tɔɔng-kon-ngôo",
      "sense": "mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold",
      "word": "ทองคนโง่"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "fool's gold"
  ],
  "word": "fool's gold"
}

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