Dictionary
gold' star'
1. a gold-colored star displayed, as on a service flag, to indicate that a member of one's family, organization, or the like, was killed in war as a member of the armed forces.
2. Informal.
a. symbolic approval or recognition for outstanding merit or effort:
You get the gold star for cooking such a gourmet dinner.
b. anything that represents an outstanding effort or achievement:
Her promotion was the gold star she'd been working for. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.