old-timer

noun

old-tim·​er ˈōl(d)-ˈtī-mər 

-ˌtī-mər

1

a

: veteran

b

: oldster

2

: something that is old-fashioned : antique

Synonyms of old-timer

• elder
• oldster
• adult
• geriatric
• ancient

Examples of old-timer in a Sentence

a group of old-timers playing shuffleboard

old-timers in the fishing industry couldn't remember a time when catches were so low

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet many of the old-timers and young tech workers who live here seem to have accepted the coming changes as an unavoidable reality of California’s deepening housing crisis. —Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026

The movie is all about old-timers, and it’s filled with real old-timers. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2026

Age mandates for trees worry some environmentalists Woodlands that are healthy, biodiverse and able to provide food and habitat for myriad species usually have a mix of tree types, from skinny saplings to looming old-timers. —Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 22 Jan. 2026

Most old-timers would tell you that Bill Snyder did more for Kansas State than anyone did anywhere in the history of goal posts. —Kevin Sherrington, Dallas Morning News, 19 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for old-timer

• alzheimer
• climber
• dimer
• eimer
• primer
• rhymer
• timer
• heterodimer

Kids Definition

old-timer

noun

old-tim·​er

ōl(d)-ˈtī-mər

1

a

: veteran sense 1

b

: oldster

2

: something old-fashioned