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 life2: 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: generation4: an individual's development measured in terms of the years requisite for like development of an average individual

synonyms see period