gold watch

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   a watch made of gold or covered in gold, often given as a special gift.

   Grammar: Countable: one gold watch, two gold watches.

   Patterns

   • a gold watch
   • give someone a gold watch
   • receive a gold watch

   My grandfather was given a gold watch when he retired after forty years at the factory.

   She keeps her father's gold watch in a box and only wears it on special occasions.

   The company presented him with a gold watch and a card signed by all his colleagues.

2. 2nounsingularfigurative

   a traditional symbol of retirement or long service, especially in business or industry.

   Grammar: Often used in the fixed idea of 'the gold watch' as a reward for long service.

   Patterns

   • the gold watch
   • get the gold watch
   • hand someone the gold watch

   After thirty years, he finally got the gold watch and left the company.

   In some industries, the gold watch is no longer a common reward for long service.

   She joked that her gold watch was just a polite way of saying goodbye.

Word forms

Common combinations

receive a gold watch

He received a gold watch for his retirement.

give someone a gold watch

They gave her a gold watch as a leaving present.

a gold watch and chain

The old man wore a gold watch and chain across his waistcoat.

a solid gold watch

This is a solid gold watch, not just gold-plated.

a gold watch presentation

The gold watch presentation took place at the annual dinner.

Synonyms and how they differ

timepiece

A formal or old-fashioned word for any watch or clock; it does not specify the material.

wristwatch

A watch worn on the wrist; it can be made of any material, not necessarily gold.

Word family

gold noun

A valuable yellow metal used for jewelry and coins.

golden adjective

Made of gold or having the color of gold; also used figuratively for something excellent.

watch noun

A small clock worn on the wrist or carried in a pocket.

Commonly confused: gold watch or golden watch?

Practice

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