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11 dictionary results for: Ancient

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

an·cient1

[eyn-shuh

nt] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	of or in time long past, esp. before the end of the Western Roman Empire a.d. 476: ancient history.

2.	dating from a remote period; of great age: ancient rocks; ancient trees.

3.	very old; aged: an ancient folk tale.

4.	being old in wisdom and experience; venerable.

5.	old-fashioned or antique.

–noun

6.	a person who lived in ancient times.

7.	one of the classical writers of antiquity.

8.	a very old or aged person, esp. if venerable or patriarchal.

ancients,

a.	the civilized peoples, nations, or cultures of antiquity, as the Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, and Egyptians (usually prec. by the).

b.	the writers, artists, and philosophers of ancient times, esp. those of Greece and Rome.

[Origin: 1300–50; ME auncien < AF; OF ancien < VL *antiānus, equiv. to L ante(ā) before (see ante-) + -ānus -an; late ME forms with -t- developed by confusion with the prp. ending -nt (see -ent)

]

—Related forms

an·cient·ness, noun

—Synonyms 2, 3. Ancient, antiquated, antique, old-fashioned refer to something dating from the past. Ancient implies existence or first occurrence in a distant past: an ancient custom. Antiquated connotes something too old or no longer useful: an antiquated building. Antique suggests a curious or pleasing quality in something old: antique furniture. Old-fashioned may disparage something as being out of date or may approve something old as being superior: an old-fashioned hat; old-fashioned courtesy.

—Antonyms 2, 3. new, modern.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

an·cient2

[eyn-shuh

nt] Pronunciation Key

–noun Obsolete.

1.	the bearer of a flag.

2.	a flag, banner, or standard; ensign.

[Origin: 1545–55; var. of ensign by confusion with ancient¹

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

an·cient¹ (ān'shənt) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Of great age; very old.
Of or relating to times long past, especially those of the historical period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire (A.D. 476). See Synonyms at old.
Old-fashioned; antiquated.
Having the qualities associated with age, wisdom, or long use; venerable.

A very old person.
A person who lived in times long past.
ancients
1. The peoples of the classical nations of antiquity.
2. The ancient Greek and Roman authors.

[Middle English auncien, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *anteānus : Latin ante, before; see ant- in Indo-European roots + -ānus, adj. and n. suff.]

an'cient·ly adv., an'cient·ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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an·cient² (ān'shənt) Pronunciation Key
n.

Archaic An ensign; a flag.
Obsolete A flag-bearer or lieutenant.

[Alteration of ensign.]

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
ancient

1366, auncyen, from O.Fr. ancien, from V.L. *anteanus, adjectivization of L. ante "before, in front of, against," from PIE *anti "against," locative singular of *ant- "front, forehead." With parasitic -t- 15c. by influence of words in -ent. Specifically, in history, "belonging to the period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire" (and contrasted with medieval and modern). In Eng. law, "from before the Norman Conquest." Ancient of Days is from Dan. vii.9. Meaning "standard-bearer" (1554, archaic, but preserved in Shakespeare's character Aunchient Pistoll in "Henry V") is a corruption of ensign (1554).

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

ancient
adjective
1.	belonging to times long past especially of the historical period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire; "ancient history"; "ancient civilizations such as those of the Etruscans and Sumerians"; "ancient Greece"
2.	very old; "an ancient mariner"
noun
1.	a very old person
2.	a person who lived in ancient times

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Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: an·cient
Function: adjective
: existing from a long past date; specifically : having had an uninterrupted existence of 20 to 30 or more years
NOTE: Things and esp. documents that are ancient benefit from a presumption that they are valid even though proof of their validity may be unavailable due to lapse of memory, absence of witnesses, or loss of documents.

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U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Ancient Oaks, PA (CDP, FIPS 2416) Location: 40.53254 N, 75.58573 W
Population (1990): 2663 (857 housing units)
Area: 5.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Ancient

An"cient\, a. [OE. auncien, F. ancien, LL. antianus, fr. L. ante before. See Ante-, pref.]

1. Old; that happened or existed in former times, usually at a great distance of time; belonging to times long past; specifically applied to the times before the fall of the Roman empire; -- opposed to modern; as, ancient authors, literature, history; ancient days.

Witness those ancient empires of the earth. --Milton.

Gildas Albanius . . . much ancienter than his namesake surnamed the Wise. --Fuller.

2. Old; that has been of long duration; of long standing; of great age; as, an ancient forest; an ancient castle. "Our ancient bickerings." --Shak.

Remove not the ancient landmarks, which thy fathers have set. --Prov. xxii. 28.

An ancient man, strangely habited, asked for quarters. --Scott.

3. Known for a long time, or from early times; -- opposed to recent or new; as, the ancient continent.

A friend, perhaps, or an ancient acquaintance. --Barrow.

4. Dignified, like an aged man; magisterial; venerable. [Archaic]

He wrought but some few hours of the day, and then would he seem very grave and ancient. --Holland.

5. Experienced; versed. [Obs.]

Though [he] was the youngest brother, yet he was the most ancient in the business of the realm. --Berners.

6. Former; sometime. [Obs.]

They mourned their ancient leader lost. --Pope.

Ancient demesne (Eng. Law), a tenure by which all manors belonging to the crown, in the reign of William the Conqueror, were held. The numbers, names, etc., of these were all entered in a book called Domesday Book.

Ancient lights (Law), windows and other openings which have been enjoined without molestation for more than twenty years. In England, and in some of the United States, they acquire a prescriptive right.

Syn: Old; primitive; pristine; antique; antiquated; old-fashioned; obsolete.

Usage: Ancient, Antiquated, Obsolete, Antique, Antic, Old. -- Ancient is opposed to modern, and has antiquity; as, an ancient family, ancient landmarks, ancient institutions, systems of thought, etc. Antiquated describes that which has gone out of use or fashion; as, antiquated furniture, antiquated laws, rules, etc. Obsolete is commonly used, instead of antiquated, in reference to language, customs, etc.; as, an obsolete word or phrase, an obsolete expression. Antique is applied, in present usage, either to that which has come down from the ancients; as, an antique cameo, bust, etc.; or to that which is made to imitate some ancient work of art; as, an antique temple. In the days of Shakespeare, antique was often used for ancient; as, "an antique song," "an antique Roman;" and hence, from singularity often attached to what is ancient, it was used in the sense of grotesque; as, "an oak whose antique root peeps out; " and hence came our present word antic, denoting grotesque or ridiculous. We usually apply both ancient and old to things subject to gradual decay. We say, an old man, an ancient record; but never, the old stars, an old river or mountain. In general, however, ancient is opposed to modern, and old to new, fresh, or recent. When we speak of a thing that existed formerly, which has ceased to exist, we commonly use ancient; as, ancient republics, ancient heroes; and not old republics, old heroes. But when the thing which began or existed in former times is still in existence, we use either ancient or old; as, ancient statues or paintings, or old statues or paintings; ancient authors, or old authors, meaning books.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Ancient

An"cient\, n. 1. pl. Those who lived in former ages, as opposed to the moderns.

2. An aged man; a patriarch. Hence: A governor; a ruler; a person of influence.

The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof. --Isa. iii. 14.

3. A senior; an elder; a predecessor. [Obs.]

Junius and Andronicus . . . in Christianity . . . were his ancients. --Hooker.

4. pl. (Eng. Law) One of the senior members of the Inns of Court or of Chancery.

Council of Ancients (French Hist.), one of the two assemblies composing the legislative bodies in 1795. --Brande.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This