She […] like a ghastly Gelt whose wits are reaved, / Ran forth in hast with hideous outcry […]1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
spay'd Gelts1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC:
gelt
noun
Etymology In the basic sense of "money", attested since the early 16th century, initially from (an Early New High German continuation of) Middle High German gelt (modern German Geld), from Old High German gelt (“payment, money”), or in some cases from (an Early Modern Dutch continuation of) Middle Dutch gelt. Later, and in the Jewish-related senses, from Yiddish געלט (gelt). The German, Dutch and Yiddish words are all from Proto-Germanic *geldą (“reward, gift, money”). Doublet of native words geld and yield.
1
Usually Money.
Especially thieves' cant and Polari; later Judaism and general slang; especially thieves' cant and Polari; later Judaism and general slang
That nothynge had / There of theyr awne / Neyther gelt nor pawne.c. 1529, John Skelton, The Tunning of Elynour Rummyng, section 610:
It amounts to not above 12000 Fr. Rhenish, yearly, in bare gelt.1591 (1685), Henry Wotton, in Reliquiae Wottonianae, 616
4 more examples
The is no Gelt to be got.c. 1698, B. E., A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew:
I saw him at the house of my parents; I in my earliest youth, he approaching to fourscore. He was on his way to collect the Dominie's gelt; for the Dutch always took care the stipend to the minister should be competent, that so he never might be straitened 'to desire a gift.'1816, Egbert Benson, in a memoir read before the New York Historical Society [in 1816], quoted in History of the School of the Collegiate Reformed Dutch Church (1883), page 22
"And yet," said Captain Dalgetty, "my second and greatest difficulty remains behind; for, although I hold it a mean and sordid thing for a soldado to have nothing in his mouth but pay and gelt, like the base cullions, the German lanz-knechts, whom I mentioned before; […] yet, ex contrario, a soldier's pay being the counterpart of his engagement of service, it becomes a wise and considerate cavalier to consider what remuneration he is to receive for his service, […]1852, Walter Scott, A Legend of Montrose And, The Black Dwarf:
Have bought some farm land in Rio Grande Valley which should bring in a sizeable bundle of gelts come cotton picking time.1948, William Burroughs, letter, 5 Jun 1948
2
Usually Tribute; tax.
All these the king granted unto them […] free from all gelts [guilds] and payments, in a most full and ample manner.1655, Thomas Fuller, The History of Waltham Abbey:
3
Judaism, Usually Money, especially that given as a gift on Hanukkah or used in games of dreidel.
4
Judaism, Usually Chocolate candy in the shape of coins, usually wrapped in metallic foil, usually eaten on Hanukkah and often used for games of dreidel.