old

1. 1

   Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.

   • an old abandoned building
   • an old friend
2. 2

   Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.; Of a living being, having lived for most of the expected years.

   • a wrinkled old man
3. 3

   Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.; Of a perishable item, having existed for most of, or more than, its shelf life.

   • an old loaf of bread
4. 4

   Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.; Of a species or language, belonging to a lineage that is distantly related to others.

   • the ginkgo is one of the oldest living trees
   • Basque is the oldest language in Europe
5. 5

   Having been used and thus no longer new or unused.

   • I find that an old toothbrush is good to clean the keyboard with.
6. 6

   Having existed or lived for the specified time.

   • How old are they? She’s five years old and he's seven. We also have a young teen and a two-year-old child.
   • My great-grandfather lived to be a hundred and one years old.
7. 7

   Of an earlier time.; Former, previous.

   • My new car is not as good as my old one. a school reunion for Old Etonians
8. 8

   Of an earlier time.; That is no longer in existence.

   • The footpath follows the route of an old railway line.
9. 9

   Of an earlier time.; Obsolete; out-of-date.

   • That is the old way of doing things; now we do it this way.
10. 10

    Of an earlier time.; Familiar.

    • When he got drunk and quarrelsome they just gave him the old heave-ho.
    • She always makes the same old excuses.

syn. ancient · long in the tooth · paleo- · ageing · aging · elderly · on in years · ex- · former · one-time · past · antiquated

ant. brand new · fresh · new · neo- · ceno- · young · current · latest

1. 1

   People who are old; old beings; the older generation, taken as a group.countableinvariableplural

   • A civilised society should always look after the old in the community.
2. 2

   A person older than oneself, especially an adult in relation to a teenager.countableslanguncountable

   • Near-synonyms: geezer, oldie, oldster; see also Thesaurus:old person
   • I'm not letting an old wreck my good time today.
3. 3

   One's parents.countableslanguncountable

   • I had to sneak out to meet my girlfriend and tell the olds I was going to the library.
4. 4

   A typically dark-coloured lager brewed by the traditional top-fermentation method.Australiauncountable

   • We crossed to the pub on the corner of Carlisle Street and I ordered two schooners of old for him and one of light for me.