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old
old / ōld/ • adj. (old·er , old·est ) See also elder1 , eldest. 1. having lived for a long time; no longer young: the old man lay propped up on cushions. ∎ made or built long ago: the old quarter of the town. ∎ possessed or used for a long time: he gave his old clothes away. ∎ having the characteristics or showing the signs of age: marble now so old that it has turned gray and chipped. 2. belonging only or chiefly to the past; former or previous: valuation under the old rating system was inexact. ∎ used to refer to the first of two or more similar things: I was going to try to get my old job back. ∎ dating from far back; long-established or known: we greet each other like old friends I get sick of the same old routine. ∎ (of a form of a language) as used in former or earliest times. 3. [in comb.] of a specified age: he was fourteen years old a seven-month-old baby. ∎ [as n.] [in comb.] a person or animal of the age specified: a nineteen-year-old. 4. inf. used to express affection, familiarity, or contempt: it gets the old adrenaline going “Good old Mom,” she said. PHRASES: any old any item of a specified type (used to show that no particular or special individual is in question): any old room would have done. any old way in no particular order: they've dropped things just any old way. as old as the hills of very long standing or very great age (often used in exaggerated statements). for old times' sake see sake1 . of old 1. in or belonging to the past: he was more reticent than of old. 2. starting long ago; for a long time: they knew him of old. the old days a period in the past, often seen as significantly different from the present, esp. noticeably better or worse: it was easier in the old days we are less confident than in the good old days the bad old days of incoherence and irresponsibility. old enough to be someone's father (or mother) inf. of a much greater age than someone (esp. used to suggest that a romantic or sexual relationship between the people concerned is inappropriate).DERIVATIVES: old·ish adj. old·ness n. |
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Cite this article
"old." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "old." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-old.html "old." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-old.html |
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old
old OE. (as a familiar epithet XIV). OE. (Angl.) ald (WS. eald) = OS. ald (Du. oud), (O)HG. alt :- WGmc. *alða (cf. ON. compar. ellri ELDER2, superl. ellztr ELDEST, Goth. alþeis old); pp. formation on the base of OE. alan, ON. ala nourish, Goth. alan grow up, rel. to L. alere nourish, with the parallel formation altus high, deep.
Hence olden (-EN2) ancient. XV. |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "old." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "old." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-old.html T. F. HOAD. "old." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-old.html |
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Old
Old Northants. Walda 1086 (DB). ‘(Place at) the woodland or forest’. OE wald.
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Cite this article
A. D. MILLS. "Old." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. A. D. MILLS. "Old." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Old1.html A. D. MILLS. "Old." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Old1.html |
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Old
Old as affix, see main name, e.g. for Old Alresford (Hants.) see Alresford.
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Cite this article
A. D. MILLS. "Old." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. A. D. MILLS. "Old." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Old.html A. D. MILLS. "Old." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Old.html |
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old
old •behold, bold, cold, enfold, fold, foretold, gold, hold, mould (US mold), old, outsold, scold, self-controlled, sold, told, uncontrolled, undersold, unpolled, uphold, withhold, wold
•scaffold • tenfold
•elevenfold, sevenfold
•twelvefold
•eightfold, gatefold
•threefold • sheepfold • billfold
•pinfold • sixfold • manifold
•manyfold • twentyfold
•blindfold, ninefold
•fivefold • fourfold • thousandfold
•twofold • hundredfold
•centrefold (US centerfold)
•millionfold • mangold • marigold
•handhold • stranglehold • threshold
•freehold • leasehold • copyhold
•stronghold • shorthold • household
•toehold • foothold • commonhold
•cuckold • Leopold • Courtauld
•Cotswold
•unoiled, unsoiled, unspoiled
•shopsoiled
•Gould, unschooled
•unscheduled • thick-skulled
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Cite this article
"old." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "old." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-old.html "old." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-old.html |
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