I. ˈāj 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 age s
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 ; ag·ing or age·ing )
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
• ag·er ˈā-jər noun