# old

Pronunciation: say "OHLD" US /ˈoʊld/, UK /ˈəʊld/

## Adjective

1. Of a person, animal, or other living thing, far along in its expected span of life.
   - Simple: Having lived for many years and near the end of a normal life span.
   - _The old farmer had worked these fields for sixty years._
   - _Elephants can grow remarkably old, sometimes reaching seventy in the wild._
2. Of a thing, idea, or relationship, in existence for a comparatively long time.
   - Simple: Having existed for a long time and not new or recent.
   - _The custom is old, dating back to the founding of the village._
   - _The old stone bridge still carries traffic across the river after three centuries._
3. Of the age indicated, counting from birth or from when something came into being.
   - Simple: Having lived or existed for a stated amount of time.
   - _The cathedral is nearly a thousand years old._
   - _By the time she retired, the company was forty years old._
4. Belonging to an earlier time; former or previous, or no longer existing.
   - Simple: From an earlier time, or that you had or knew before, or that no longer exists.
   - _She still keeps in touch with an old colleague from her first job._
   - _He revisited his old neighborhood after living abroad for a decade._
5. No longer new or fresh: already used or worn, or, of food, kept so long it is going stale.
   - Simple: Not new or fresh any more, because it has been used or kept for a long time.
   - _The mechanic replaced the old tires with a fresh set._
   - _He kept his old jacket for gardening even after buying a new coat._
9. Tiresome after being repeated too many times.
   - Simple: Boring because it has happened too many times.
   - _The novelty wore off quickly, and the joke soon grew old._
   - _Her habit of showing up late was getting old, and the team let her know it._
6. Used to indicate affection and familiarity toward someone. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Used in a warm, friendly way about someone you know well.
   - _It's so good to see you again, you old rascal._
   - _Dear old Mrs. Patel down the lane always saves us the best tomatoes._
7. No longer current or in use; out-of-date.
   - Simple: Out of date, because something newer has taken its place.
   - _The factory still relied on old machinery that newer plants had long abandoned._
   - _These old methods have been replaced by faster digital tools._
8. Familiar through long acquaintance or repeated experience, whether welcome or tiresome, as in old friends or the same old excuses.
   - Simple: Well known to you because you have met it or seen it many times before.
   - _The pub was full of the old familiar faces, and he felt at home at once._
   - _They chatted like old friends, though they had only met that morning._
10. An intensifier combined with another adjective, often when describing something positive.
   - Simple: Added after a word like good or great to make it stronger, often in a friendly way.
   - _We settled in for a good old chat over coffee._
   - _It turned into a great old celebration that lasted all night._
14. Of a species or language, belonging to a lineage distantly related to the others around it.
   - Simple: Of a language or kind of animal, coming from a very early line that is only distantly related to others.
15. Of a color, especially red, pink, or orange, soft and subdued as though faded with age.
   - Simple: Describing a soft, faded shade of a color, like a dull pink or red.
   - _The designer chose an old pink for the upholstery, muted and warm._
   - _Faded to an old red, the barn blended into the autumn hills._
16. Of a person, being a former pupil or graduate of a particular school, especially a British public school. *(UK)*
   - Simple: Describing someone who once attended a particular school, especially in Britain.
   - _As an Old Etonian, he still goes back for the annual school dinner._
   - _The club admits only old boys of the founding school._
17. Intended for older people, and so unsuitable for someone younger, as in a book too old for a six-year-old.
   - Simple: Meant for older people, so not suitable for someone younger, like a book too old for a small child.
   - _The themes in the play felt too old for a school assembly of young pupils._
   - _Parents complained that the show was far too old for its early evening slot._
20. Describing someone whose years of doing a particular thing have made them skilled and experienced at it.
   - Simple: Of a person, good at something because they have done it for a long time.
   - _Though barely thirty, the director is an old hand at managing difficult actors._
   - _The rookies watched the old pros on the crew set up the stage in half the time._

## Noun

11. People who are old, considered together as a group; the older generation.
   - Simple: People who are old, thought of together as a group.
   - _Public health programs that protect the old also ease pressure on hospitals._
   - _In many cultures, the old are honored for their long experience._
12. One's parents, usually spoken of together as a pair. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Your mother and father.
   - _My olds are away for the weekend, so the house is ours._
   - _She finally told her olds about the new job._
13. A person older than oneself, especially an adult seen from a teenager's point of view. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A person who is older than you, especially an adult next to a teenager.
   - _To the kids at the skate park, anyone over thirty is one of the olds._
   - _He complained that the olds at the office never understood his jokes._
18. A typically dark beer made by the traditional top-fermentation brewing method. *(Australia)*
   - Simple: A dark kind of beer made using a traditional brewing method.
   - _She poured herself a glass of old after the long shift._
   - _Many regulars order old, finding the pale lagers too light for their taste._

## Adjective

19. Excessive or abundant; present in great quantity. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Very great in amount, more than enough.

## Origin

"Old" comes from Middle English "old", from Old English "eald" ("old, aged, ancient"), from Proto-Germanic *aldaz ("grown-up") (originally a participle form) and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós ("grown, tall, big"). It is related to German "alt", Dutch "oud", and Latin "altus" ("high, tall").

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