bullion

Meaning

1. (countable, uncountable) A bulk quantity of precious metal, usually gold or silver, assessed by weight and typically cast as ingots.
2. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Base or uncurrent coin.
3. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Showy metallic ornament, as of gold, silver, or copper, on bridles, saddles, etc.
4. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A heavy twisted fringe, made of fine gold or silver wire and used for epaulets; also, any heavy twisted fringe whose cords are prominent.
5. (countable, uncountable) The mark left on a glass piece from its attachment to a punty.

Synonyms

ingot

specie

cash

💸

reguli

metal block

metal biscuit

dore metal

nugget

derby

Translations

lingotto

Barren

lingote

Goldbarren

χρυσάφι

oro o plata en lingotes

lingot

or en barre

Edelmetall

سبائك

ράβδοι άργυρου

άργυρος σε ράβδους

Metallgeld

Münze

💸

Hartgeld

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbʊl.jən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: bulloin

Cognate with French: bouillon

Cognate with Middle Dutch: boelioen

In summary

From Middle English bulloin, bullioun, from Anglo-Norman bullion, of obscure origin, perhaps from French bouillon, extending the sense to that of ‘melting’. Middle Dutch boelioen (“base metal”) seems to have come from the unrelated French billon.