old

old [ōld]

adj.

older or elder, oldest or eldest [ME < OE (Anglian) ald, WS eald, akin to Ger alt < IE base * al-, to grow > L altus, old, alere, to nourish: basic sense “grown”]

1. having lived or been in existence for a long time; aged

2. of, like, or characteristic of aged people; specif., mature in judgment, wise, etc.

3. of a certain or specified age or duration [a child ten years old]

4. made or produced some time ago; not new

5. familiar or known from the past; accustomed [up to his old tricks]

6. [often O-] designating the form of a language in its earliest attested stage [Old English]

7. having been in use for a long time; worn out by age or use; shabby

8. that was at one time; former [my old teacher]

9. having had long experience or practice [an old hand at this work]

10. belonging to the remote past; having existed long ago; ancient [an old civilization]

11. dating or continuing from some period long before the present; of long standing [an old tradition]

12. designating the earlier or earliest of two or more [the Old World]

13. Informal dear: a term of affection or cordiality [old boy]

14. Informal tiresome, annoying, etc., esp. as a result of repetition or monotony [their incessant chatter has gotten old]

15. Geol. having reached the stage of greatly decreased activity or showing extensive reduction of topographical form: said of streams, mountain ranges, etc.: Also used informally as an intensive, esp. after certain favorable adjectives [ a fine old time, good old Al ]

n.

1. time long past; yore [days of old]

2. a person of a specified age: used in hyphenated compounds [a six-year-old]

3. something old: with the

4. old people: often with the

oldness

n.

SYN.- OLD implies a having been in existence or use for a relatively long time [old shoes, old civilizations ]; ANCIENT¹ specifically implies reference to times long past [ancient history ]; ANTIQUE is applied to that which dates from ancient times, or, more commonly, from a former period [antique furniture ]; ANTIQUATED is used to describe that which has become old-fashioned or outdated [antiquated notions of decorum ]; ARCHAIC, in this connection, applies to that which is marked by the characteristics of an earlier period [an archaic iron fence surrounded the house ]; OBSOLETE is applied to that which has fallen into disuse or is out-of-date [obsolete weapons ] -ANT. NEW, MODERN