age

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French aage, age, from Vulgar Latin *aetaticum, from Latin aetat-, aetas, from aevum lifetime — more at aye Date: 13th century 1. a. the time of life at which some particular qualification, power, or capacity arises or rests <

the voting age is 18

>; specifically majority b. one of the stages of life c. the length of an existence extending from the beginning to any given time <

a boy 10 years of age

> d. lifetime e. an advanced stage of life 2. a period of time dominated by a central figure or prominent feature <

the age of Pericles

>: as a. a period in history or human progress <

the age of reptiles

> <

the age of exploration

> b. a cultural period marked by the prominence of a particular item <

entering the atomic age

> c. a division of geologic time that is usually shorter than an epoch 3. a. the period contemporary with a person's lifetime or with his or her active life b. a long time — usually used in plural <

haven't seen him in ages

> c. generation 4. an individual's development measured in terms of the years requisite for like development of an average individual Synonyms: see period II. verb (aged; aging or ageing) Date: 14th century intransitive verb 1. to become old ; show the effects or the characteristics of increasing age 2. to acquire a desirable quality (as mellowness or ripeness) by standing undisturbed for some time <

letting cheese age

> transitive verb 1. to cause to become old 2. to bring to a state fit for use or to maturity • ager noun