Added 1 October 2026
old
/əʊld/ symbol
In Latin: vetus, vetulus Wiktionary
symbol Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about old at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
adjective
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Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.
an old abandoned building
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Of a living being, having lived for most of the expected years.
a wrinkled old man
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Of a perishable item, having existed for most of, or more than, its shelf life.
an old loaf of bread
noun
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People who are old; old beings; the older generation, taken as a group.
A civilised society should always look after the old in the community.
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A person older than oneself, especially an adult in relation to a teenager.
I'm not letting an old wreck my good time today.
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One's parents.
I had to sneak out to meet my girlfriend and tell the olds I was going to the library.
Origin
Inherited from Middle English old, oold, from Old English ald, eald (“old, aged, ancient, antique, primeval”), from Proto-West Germanic *ald, from Proto-Germanic *aldaz (“grown-up”), originally a participle form, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eltós (“grown, tall, big”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)