1
informal
: money
Guilt turns to gelt as Stephanie's wealthy parents … welcome their disowned daughter back with open arms and open coffers.—
TV Guide
TV Guide2
: chocolate candy in the shape of coins often given to Jewish children at Hanukkah
Lila thought of Sarah's party—how everyone got bags of Hanukkah gelt, chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil.—Rosellen Brown
Rosellen BrownExamples of gelt in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On Sunday, the Chabad Center for Jewish Life in Newport Beach hosted an afternoon of fun and games, with a chocolate gelt drop from a firetruck ladder, activities for children, treats for all and a concert.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 22 Dec. 2025
The game ends when one player has collected all of the gelt and is declared the winner.
—Marina Johnson, IndyStar, 18 Dec. 2025
That's when other customs Americans typically associate with the holiday—such as gifts, parties, and gold coins known as gelt—came to life.
—Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 14 Dec. 2025
Hanukkah celebrations are typically marked by lighting candles on a menorah, one on each of the festival's eight nights; eating fried foods; special prayers; playing with a dreidel, a four-sided toy top; singing Hanukkah songs and giving gelt, or money, usually to children, according to Chabad.org.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gelt
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 22 Dec. 2025
The game ends when one player has collected all of the gelt and is declared the winner.
—Marina Johnson, IndyStar, 18 Dec. 2025
That's when other customs Americans typically associate with the holiday—such as gifts, parties, and gold coins known as gelt—came to life.
—Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 14 Dec. 2025
Hanukkah celebrations are typically marked by lighting candles on a menorah, one on each of the festival's eight nights; eating fried foods; special prayers; playing with a dreidel, a four-sided toy top; singing Hanukkah songs and giving gelt, or money, usually to children, according to Chabad.org.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gelt
Cite this Entry
“Gelt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gelt. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share