See Also: GUILD(law)
guild(medicine)
guild(dictionary)
guild(dictionary)
guild(encyclopedia)
Theatre Guild(encyclopedia)
Guild Socialism(encyclopedia)
Screen Actors' Guild, the(dictionary)
INTER-GUILD Credit Union(finance)
Jockey' s Guild - Horse Racing(gambling)

guild (iou)



guild noun1. Also (in sense 1) gild. LOE.
[Prob. from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch gilde (Dutch gild) from Germanic; rel. to Old English gi(e)ld payment, offering, sacrifice, idol, (also) guild (continued in Middle English as &ygh;ild, yeld), Old Frisian geld, ield money, Old Saxon geld payment, sacrifice, reward, Old High German gelt payment, tribute (Dutch, German Geld money), Old Norse gjald payment and gildi guild, payment, Gothic gild tribute, from Germanic.]
An organization formed for the mutual aid and protection of its members, or for the furtherance of some common purpose; esp. (occas. gild) a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants. LOE.
b. gen. A company, a fellowship. M17.
The meeting-place of a guild; the home of a religious guild. LOE-M17.
Ecology. A group of species which have similar roles in the same community. E20.
Comb.: guild-brother a man who belongs to a guild; guildhall a hall in which a medieval guild met; a town hall; (Guildhall) the building in the City of London used by the Corporation of the City for meetings, banquets, etc.; guild socialism an economic system in which the resources, methods, and profits of each industry are controlled by a council of its members.
guildry noun (Scot.) (a) the municipal corporation of a Scottish royal burgh; (b) = GUILDSHIP 2: E16.