the length of time during which a being or thing has existed; length of life or existence to the time spoken of or referred to: trees of unknown age; His age is 20 years.
2.
a period of human life, measured by years from birth, usually marked by a certain stage or degree of mental or physical development and involving legal responsibility and capacity: the age of discretion; the age of consent; The state raised the drinking age from 18 to 21 years.
3.
the particular period of life at which a person becomes naturally or conventionally qualified or disqualified for anything: He was over age for military duty.
4.
one of the periods or stages of human life: a person of middle age.
5.
advanced years; old age: His eyes were dim with age.
6.
a particular period of history, as distinguished from others; a historical epoch: the age of Pericles; the Stone Age; the age of electronic communications.
7.
the period of history contemporary with the span of an individual's life: He was the most famous architect of the age.
8.
a generation or a series of generations: ages yet unborn.
9.
a great length of time: I haven't seen you for an age. He's been gone for ages.
10.
the average life expectancy of an individual or of the individuals of a class or species: The age of a horse is from 25 to 30 years.
11.
Psychology. the level of mental, emotional, or educational development of a person, esp. a child, as determined by various tests and based on a comparison of the individual's score with the average score for persons of the same chronological age.
12.
Geology.
a.
a period of the history of the earth distinguished by some special feature: the Ice Age.
b.
a unit of geological time, shorter than an epoch, during which the rocks comprising a stage were formed.
13.
any of the successive periods in human history divided, according to Hesiod, into the golden, silver, bronze, heroic, and iron ages.
14.
Cards.
a.
Poker. the first player at the dealer's left. Compare edge(def. 10a).
to mature, as wine, cheese, or wood: a heavy port that ages slowly.
–verb (used with object)
17.
to make old; cause to grow or seem old: Fear aged him overnight.
18.
to bring to maturity or a state fit for use: to age wine.
19.
to store (a permanent magnet, a capacitor, or other similar device) so that its electrical or magnetic characteristics become constant.
—Idiom
20.
of age, Law.
a.
being any of several ages, usually 21 or 18, at which certain legal rights, as voting or marriage, are acquired.
b.
being old enough for full legal rights and responsibilities.
[Origin: 1225–75; (n.) ME < AF, OF aage, eage, equiv. to aé (< L aetātem acc. of ae(vi)tās age; aev(um) time, lifetime + -itās-ity) + -age-age; (v.) ME agen, deriv. of the n.]
—Synonyms 6.Age,epoch,era,period all refer to an extent of time. Age usually implies a considerable extent of time, esp. one associated with a dominant personality, influence, characteristic, or institution: the age of chivalry. Epoch and era are often used interchangeably to refer to an extent of time characterized by changed conditions and new undertakings: an era (or epoch) of invention.epoch sometimes refers especially to the beginning of an era: the steam engine—an epoch in technology. A period may be long or short, but usually has a marked condition or feature: the glacial period; a period of expansion. 16. ripen, mellow, develop.
The length of time that one has existed; duration of life: 23 years of age.
The time of life when a person becomes qualified to assume certain civil and personal rights and responsibilities, usually at 18 or 21 years; legal age: under age; of age.
One of the stages of life: the age of adolescence; at an awkward age.
The state of being old; old age: hair white with age.
often Age
A period in the history of humankind marked by a distinctive characteristic or achievement: the Stone Age; the computer age.
A period in the history of the earth, usually shorter than an epoch: the Ice Age.
A period of time marked by the presence or influence of a dominant figure: the Elizabethan Age. See Synonyms at period.
The period of history during which a person lives: a product of his age.
A generation: ages yet unborn.
The period of history during which a person lives: a product of his age.
A generation: ages yet unborn.
agesInformal An extended period of time: left ages ago.
v.
aged, ag·ing, ag·es
v.
tr.
To cause to become old.
To cause to mature or ripen under controlled conditions: aging wine.
To change (the characteristics of a device) through use, especially to stabilize (an electronic device).
v.
intr.
To become old.
To manifest traits associated with old age.
To develop a certain quality of ripeness; become mature: cheese aging at room temperature. See Synonyms at mature.
Phrasal Verb(s): age out Informal
To reach an age, 18 or 21 years, for example, at which one is no longer eligible for certain special services, such as education or protection, from the state.
Idiom(s):
come of age
To reach maturity.
[Middle English, from Old French aage, from Vulgar Latin *aetāticum, from Latin aetās, aetāt-, age; see aiw- in Indo-European roots.]
1297, "long but indefinite period in human history," from O.Fr. aage, from V.L. *ætaticum (cf. Sp. edad, It. eta), from L. ætatem (nom. ætas), "period of life," from ævum "lifetime, eternity, age," from PIE base *aiw- "vital force, life, long life, eternity" (see eon). Meaning "time something has lived, particular length or stage of life" is from c.1315. Used especially for "old age" since c.1330. Expelled native eld. The verb meaning "to grow old" is from 1398. Ageism "discrimination against people based on age" was coined 1969 by U.S. gerontologist Robert N. Butler, on pattern of racism, sexism.
how long something has existed; "it was replaced because of its age"
2.
an era of history having some distinctive feature; "we live in a litigious age" [syn: historic period]
3.
a time of life (usually defined in years) at which some particular qualification or power arises; "she was now of school age"; "tall for his eld"
4.
a prolonged period of time; "we've known each other for ages"; "I haven't been there for years and years" [syn: long time]
5.
a late time of life; "old age is not for sissies"; "he's showing his years"; "age hasn't slowed him down at all"; "a beard white with eld"; "on the brink of geezerhood" [syn: old age]
verb
1.
begin to seem older; get older; "The death of his wife caused him to age fast"
2.
grow old or older; "She aged gracefully"; "we age every day--what a depressing thought!"; "Young men senesce" [syn: senesce]
3.
make older; "The death of his child aged him tremendously" [ant: rejuvenate]
Age\ ([=a]j), n. [OF. aage, eage, F. [^a]ge, fr. L. aetas through a supposed LL. aetaticum. L. aetas is contracted fr. aevitas, fr. aevum lifetime, age; akin to E. aye ever. Cf. Each.]1. The whole duration of a being, whether animal, vegetable, or other kind; lifetime. Mine age is as nothing before thee. --Ps. xxxix. 5. 2. That part of the duration of a being or a thing which is between its beginning and any given time; as, what is the present age of a man, or of the earth? 3. The latter part of life; an advanced period of life; seniority; state of being old. Nor wrong mine age with this indignity. --Shak. 4. One of the stages of life; as, the age of infancy, of youth, etc. --Shak. 5. Mature age; especially, the time of life at which one attains full personal rights and capacities; as, to come of age; he (or she) is of age. --Abbott. Note: In the United States, both males and females are of age when twenty-one years old. 6. The time of life at which some particular power or capacity is understood to become vested; as, the age of consent; the age of discretion. --Abbott. 7. A particular period of time in history, as distinguished from others; as, the golden age, the age of Pericles. "The spirit of the age." --Prescott. Truth, in some age or other, will find her witness. --Milton. Note: Archeological ages are designated as three: The Stone age (the early and the later stone age, called paleolithic and neolithic), the Bronze age, and the Iron age. During the Age of Stone man is supposed to have employed stone for weapons and implements. See Augustan, Brazen, Golden, Heroic, Middle. 8. A great period in the history of the Earth. Note: The geologic ages are as follows: 1. The Arch[ae]an, including the time when was no life and the time of the earliest and simplest forms of life. 2. The age of Invertebrates, or the Silurian, when the life on the globe consisted distinctively of invertebrates. 3. The age of Fishes, or the Devonian, when fishes were the dominant race. 4. The age of Coal Plants, or Acrogens, or the Carboniferous age. 5. The Mesozoic or Secondary age, or age of Reptiles, when reptiles prevailed in great numbers and of vast size. 6. The Tertiary age, or age of Mammals, when the mammalia, or quadrupeds, abounded, and were the dominant race. 7. The Quaternary age, or age of Man, or the modern era. --Dana. 9. A century; the period of one hundred years. Fleury . . . apologizes for these five ages. --Hallam. 10. The people who live at a particular period; hence, a generation. "Ages yet unborn." --Pope. The way which the age follows. --J. H. Newman. Lo! where the stage, the poor, degraded stage, Holds its warped mirror to a gaping age. --C. Sprague. 11. A long time. [Colloq.] "He made minutes an age." --Tennyson. Age of a tide, the time from the origin of a tide in the South Pacific Ocean to its arrival at a given place. Moon's age, the time that has elapsed since the last preceding conjunction of the sun and moon. Note: Age is used to form the first part of many compounds; as, agelasting, age-adorning, age-worn, age-enfeebled, agelong. Syn: Time; period; generation; date; era; epoch.
Age\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Aged; p. pr. & vb. n. Aging.] To grow aged; to become old; to show marks of age; as, he grew fat as he aged. They live one hundred and thirty years, and never age for all that. --Holland. I am aging; that is, I have a whitish, or rather a light-colored, hair here and there. --Landor.
Aye\, Ay \Ay\, adv. [Icel. ei, ey; akin to AS. [=a], [=a]wa, always, Goth. aiws an age, Icel. [ae]fi, OHG, ?wa, L. aevum, Gr. ? an age, ?, ?, ever, always, G. je, Skr. ?va course. ?,?. Cf. Age, v., Either, a., Or, conj.] Always; ever; continually; for an indefinite time. For his mercies aye endure. --Milton. For aye, always; forever; eternally.
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