Main Entry: ¹age

Pronunciation: \ˈāj\

Function: 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