old
1. old \'o-ld\ aj [ME, fr. OE eald; akin to OHG alt old, L alere to
nourish, Xalescere to grow, altus high, deep 1a: dating from the remote
past : ANCIENT {~ traditions} 1b: persisting from an earlier time :
CHRONIC {an ~ ailmen t} 1c: of long standing {an ~ friend} 2a:
distinguished from an object of the same kind by being of an earlier d ate
cap 2b: belonging to an early period in the development of a language or
liter ature {Old Irish} 3: having existed for a specified period of time {a
girl three years @} 4: of, relating to, or originating in a past era :
ANTIQUE {the ~ chronicles} 5a: advanced in years or age {an ~ man} 5b:
showing the characteristics of age {looked ~ at 20} 6: EXPERIENCED {an ~
offender} 7: FORMER {his ~ students} 8a: showing the effects of time or
use : WORN, AGED {~)R shoes} 8b: well advanced toward reduction to
baselevel - used of topographic fe atures 8c: no longer in use : DISCARDED
{~ rags} 8d: of a grayish or dusty tone color {~ mauve} 9a: long familiar
{same ~ story} {good ~ Joe} 9b: - used as an intensive {a high ~ time}
{any ~ time }ARCHAIC, OBSOLETE: OLD may imply either actual or merely
relative length of existence; ANCIENT implies occurrence, existence, or use
in the distant past; VENERABLE stresses the hoariness and dignity of great
age; ANTIQUE suggests a surviving in knowledge or use from at least a
fairly remote past; ANTIQUATED implies being discredited or outmoded or
otherwise inappropriate to the present time; ARCHAIC implies having the
character or characteristics of a much earlier period; OBSOLETE implies
having gone out of currency or habitual practice SYN syn ANCIENT,
VENERABLE, ANTIQUE, ANTIQUATED,
2. old n 1: old or earlier time 2: one of a specified age {a 3-year-old}