bullion

/ˈbʊl.jən/

Etymology

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.

name

A surname.

noun

A bulk quantity of precious metal, usually gold or silver, assessed by weight and typically cast as ingots.“If the mint kept back one per cent, to pay the expense of coinage, it would be against the interest of the holders of bullion to have it coined, until the coin was more valuable than the bullion by at least that fraction.”
Base or uncurrent coin.“And those which eld's strict doom did disallow, / And damn for bullion, go for current now.”
Showy metallic ornament, as of gold, silver, or copper, on bridles, saddles, etc.“To beholde how it was garnysshyd and bounde, […] The claspis and bullyons were worth a thousande pounde; […]”
A heavy twisted fringe, made of fine gold or silver wire and used for epaulets; also, any heavy twisted fringe whose cords are prominent.“The hair was plaited with bullion and red riband, and then wound round the head, something after the fashion of a turban, save that it entirely displayed the forehead.”
The mark left on a glass piece from its attachment to a punty.