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[ohld] /oʊld/

adjective, older, oldest or elder, eldest.
1.
far advanced in the years of one’s or its life:
an old man; an old horse; an old tree.
2.
of or relating to the latter part of the life or term of existence of a person or thing:
old age.
3.
as if or appearing to be far advanced in years:
Worry had made him old.
4.
having lived or existed for a specified time:
a man 30 years old; a century-old organization.
5.
having lived or existed as specified with relation to younger or newer persons or things:
Jim is our oldest boy.
6.
having been aged for a specified time:
This whiskey is eight years old.
7.
having been aged for a comparatively long time:
old brandy.
8.
long known or in use:
the same old excuse.
9.
overfamiliar to the point of tedium:
Some jokes get old fast.
10.
belonging to the past:
the good old days.
11.
having been in existence since the distant past:
a fine old family.
12.
no longer in general use:
This typewriter is an old model.
13.
acquired, made, or in use by one prior to the acquisition, making, or use of something more recent:
When the new house was built, we sold the old one.
14.
of, relating to, or originating at an earlier period or date:
old maps.
15.
prehistoric; ancient:
There may have been an old land bridge between Asia and Alaska.
16.
(initial capital letter) (of a language) in its oldest known period, as attested by the earliest written records:
Old Czech.
17.
experienced:
He’s an old hand at welding.
18.
of long standing; having been such for a comparatively long time:
an old and trusted employee.
19.
(of colors) dull, faded, or subdued:
old rose.
20.
deteriorated through age or long use; worn, decayed, or dilapidated:
old clothes.
21.
Physical Geography. (of landforms) far advanced in reduction by erosion or the like.
22.
sedate, sensible, mature, or wise:
That child seems old beyond his years.
23.
(used to indicate affection, familiarity, disparagement, or a personalization):
good old Bob; that dirty old jalopy.
24.
Informal. (used as an intensive) great; uncommon:
a high old time.
25.
former; having been so formerly:
a dinner for his old students.
noun
26.
(used with a plural verb) old persons collectively (usually preceded by the):
appropriations to care for the old.
27.
a person or animal of a specified age or age group (used in combination):
a class for six-year-olds; a horse race for three-year-olds.
28.
old or former time, often time long past:
days of old.
/əʊld/
adjective
1.
having lived or existed for a relatively long time: an old man, an old tradition, old wine, an old house, an old country
2.

3.
decrepit or senile
4.
worn with age or use: old clothes, an old car
5.

6.
(capital when part of a name or title) earlier or earliest of two or more things with the same name: the old edition, the Old Testament, old Norwich
7.
(capital when part of a name) designating the form of a language in which the earliest known records are written: Old English
8.
(prenominal) familiar through long acquaintance or repetition: an old friend, an old excuse
9.
practised; hardened: old in cunning
10.
(prenominal) often preceded by good. cherished; dear: used as a term of affection or familiarity: good old George
11.
(informal) (with any of several nouns) used as a familiar form of address to a person: old thing, old bean, old stick, old fellow
12.
skilled through long experience (esp in the phrase an old hand)
13.
out-of-date; unfashionable
14.
remote or distant in origin or time of origin: an old culture
15.
(prenominal) former; previous: my old house was small
16.

17.
sensible, wise, or mature: old beyond one’s years
18.
(of a river, valley, or land surface) in the final stage of the cycle of erosion, characterized by flat extensive flood plains and minimum relief See also youthful (sense 4), mature (sense 6)
19.
(intensifier) (esp in phrases such as a good old time, any old thing, any old how, etc)
20.
(of crops) harvested late
21.
good old days, an earlier period of time regarded as better than the present
22.
(informal) little old, indicating affection, esp humorous affection: my little old wife
23.
(informal) the old one, the old gentleman, a jocular name for Satan
noun
24.
an earlier or past time (esp in the phrase of old): in days of old
adj.

Old English ald (Anglian), eald (West Saxon) “aged, antique, primeval; elder, experienced,” from West Germanic *althas “grown up, adult” (cf. Old Frisian ald, Gothic alþeis, Dutch oud, German alt), originally a past participle stem of a verb meaning “grow, nourish” (cf. Gothic alan “to grow up,” Old Norse ala “to nourish”), from PIE root *al- “to grow, nourish” (cf. Greek aldaino “make grow, strengthen,” althein, althainein “to get well;” Latin alere “to feed, nourish, bring up, increase,” altus “high,” literally “grown tall,” almus “nurturing, nourishing,” alumnus “fosterling, step-child;” Old Irish alim “I nourish”).

The usual PIE root is *sen- (see senior (adj.)). A few Indo-European languages distinguish words for “old” (vs. young) from words for “old” (vs. new), and some have separate words for aged persons as opposed to old things. Latin senex was used of aged living things, mostly persons, while vetus (literally “having many years”) was used of inanimate things. Greek geraios was used mostly of humans; Greek palaios was used mostly of things, of persons only in a derogatory sense. Greek also had arkhaios, literally “belonging to the beginning,” which parallels French ancien, used mostly with reference to things “of former times.”

Old English also had fyrn “ancient,” related to Old English feor “far, distant” (see far, and cf. Gothic fairneis, Old Norse forn “old, of old, of former times,” Old High German firni “old, experienced”). The original Old English vowel is preserved in Scots auld, also in alderman. The original comparative and superlative (elder, eldest) are retained in particular uses.

First record of old-timer is from 1860. Expression old as the hills first recorded 1819. The good old days dates from 1828. Of old “of old times” is from late 14c. Old Glory for “the American flag” is first attested 1862. Old maid “woman who remains single well beyond the usual marrying age” is from 1520s; the card game is attested by that name from 1844. Old man “man who has lived long” is from c.1200; sense of “husband, father, boss” is from 1854, earlier (1830) it was military slang for “commanding officer;” old lady “wife, mother” is attested from c.1775. Old English is attested from 1701, originally as a type of font. Old boy originally was a former pupil of one of the English public schools. Old Testament attested from mid-14c.

adjective

Good; dear; well-liked: What’s old Donald up to now? (1598+)

Related Terms

any old