gold star

noun

An award for outstanding achievement.

“a gold-star mother”

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Meanings

gold star1

noungold star (plural gold stars)

plural gold stars

  1. An award for outstanding achievement.
  2. USin compoundsgovernmentA relative of a U.S. soldier when the latter has been killed in action.

    a gold-star mother

Gold Star2

nounGold Star (plural Gold Stars)

plural Gold Stars

  1. governmentA high-level military service award (medal).

Origin

gold star · noun

From Gold + star from the star shape of the award and its colour, representing the highest of three levels: gold, silver, bronze.

Full word history & related roots →

Gold Star · noun

From gold + star from the shape of the medal, being star-shaped, and the colouration of the medal, being golden, with gold representing the highest of three grades of star medals, of traditional usage of metallic colours, gold, silver, bronze.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

gold star. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gold%20star

MLA

“gold star.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gold%20star. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gold star,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gold%20star.

Source: gold star on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.