old

Pronunciation: /əʊld/

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Definition of old

adjective (older, oldest)

1having lived for a long time; no longer young:the old man lay propped up on cushionsSee also elder¹, eldest.
made or built long ago:the old quarter of the town
possessed or used for a long time:he gave his old clothes away
informal, chiefly US boring or tiresome, especially as a result of repetition or overfamiliarity:I wish she’d shut up—it’s getting old

2 [attributive] belonging to the past; former:valuation under the old rating system was inexact
used to refer to a thing which has been replaced by something similar:we moved back into our old house
dating from far back; long-established or known:we greeted each other like old friends I get sick of the same old routine
denoting someone who formerly attended a specified school:an old Etonian
(of a form of a language) as used in former or earliest times.

3 [in combination] of a specified age:he was fourteen years old a seven-month-old baby
[as noun, in combination] a person or animal of the age specified:a nineteen-year-old

4 [attributive] informal used to express affection, familiarity, or contempt:good old Mum I didn’t like playing with silly old dolls

Phrases

any old: any item of a specified type (used to show that no particular individual is in question):any old room would have done
any old how: in no particular order:they’ve dropped things just any old how
as old as the hills: very old (often used in exaggerated statements): the technology we’re using is as old as the hills
be old enough to be someone's father (or mother): informal be much older than someone (used to suggest that a romantic or sexual relationship between the people concerned is inappropriate): he was furious with her for wasting herself on a man old enough to be her father
for old times' sake: see sake¹.
of old
the old days: a period in the past, typically regarded as significantly better or worse than the present:it was easier in the old days we are less confident than in the good old days
the Old Firm: informal (in Scotland) a name for Celtic and Rangers Football Clubs: [as modifier]:an Old Firm match
you can't put an old head on young shoulders: proverb you can’t expect a young person to have the wisdom or maturity associated with older people.

Derivatives

oldish
oldness

Origin:

Old English ald, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch oud and German alt, from an Indo-European root meaning 'adult', shared by Latin alere 'nourish'

old in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of old in the US English dictionary

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Other

old

adjective (older, oldest)

Phrases

any old

any old how

as old as the hills

be old enough to be someone's father (or mother)

for old times' sake

of old

the old days

the Old Firm

you can't put an old head on young shoulders

Derivatives

oldish

oldness

Origin:

old in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

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