# ageing

Pronunciation: say "AY-jing" /ˈeɪ.d͡ʒɪŋ/

## Noun

1. The gradual process of growing older, in people, other living things or a population, including the slow decline of the body over time; also, the maturing of something over time.
   - Simple: Growing older over time, including the slow changes to the body, or the maturing of food and drink.
   - _The ageing of the population means more people will need care in later life._
   - _Years of ageing in oak casks give the whisky its deep colour._
4. The gradual damage something suffers through ordinary use as time goes by.
   - Simple: The damage that comes to things from being used for a long time.
   - _The cables were replaced after inspectors found cracking and other signs of ageing._
   - _The landlord blamed the cracked kitchen worktop on normal ageing rather than on anything the tenants had done._
5. Treatment meant to make something, such as an antique, look older than it really is, or in science fiction to make it actually older.
   - Simple: The work of making something look older than it is on purpose, or in stories really making it older.
   - _The dealer admitted that the table's worn look came from deliberate ageing with wire brushes and stain._
   - _In the novel, the alien weapon causes instant ageing, turning soldiers into old men._

## Adjective

2. Growing old; reaching or approaching the later years of life.
   - Simple: Getting old and moving into old age.
   - _The ageing painter could no longer keep his hand steady enough for fine detail._
   - _An ageing population is putting more and more pressure on the NHS._

## Verb

3. Present participle and gerund of age, the verb: used when someone or something is growing older or being made older, as in “is ageing well” or “ageing the cheese”. — present participle and gerund of age
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of age. Use it after words like 'is' or 'was', or as a noun for the act.
   - _The town's population is ageing as young people move away to the cities._
   - _Make-up artists spent four hours ageing the actor for the final scenes._

## Origin

Formed from age + -ing.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/ageing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).