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oldwifemore about oldwife

oldwife


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Old  \Old\,  a.  [Compar.  {Older};  superl.  {Oldest}.]  [OE.  old 
  ald,  AS  ald,  eald;  akin  to  D.  oud,  OS  ald,  OFries  ald, 
  old  G.  alt,  Goth.  alpeis  and  also  to  Goth.  alan  to  grow  up 
  Icel.  ala  to  bear,  produce,  bring  up  L.  alere  to  nourish. 
  Cf  {Adult},  {Alderman},  {Aliment},  {Auld},  {Elder}.] 
  1.  Not  young;  advanced  far  in  years  or  life;  having  lived 
  till  toward  the  end  of  the  ordinary  term  of  living;  as  an 
  old  man;  an  old  age;  an  old  horse;  an  old  tree. 
 
  Let  not  old  age  disgrace  my  high  desire.  --Sir  P. 
  Sidney. 
 
  The  melancholy  news  that  we  grow  old  --Young. 
 
  2.  Not  new  or  fresh;  not  recently  made  or  produced;  having 
  existed  for  a  long  time;  as  old  wine;  an  old  friendship. 
  ``An  old  acquaintance.''  --Camden. 
 
  3.  Formerly  existing;  ancient;  not  modern;  preceding; 
  original;  as  an  old  law;  an  old  custom;  an  old  promise. 
  ``The  old  schools  of  Greece.''  --Milton.  ``The  character 
  of  the  old  Ligurians.''  --Addison. 
 
  4.  Continued  in  life;  advanced  in  the  course  of  existence; 
  having  (a  certain)  length  of  existence;  --  designating  the 
  age  of  a  person  or  thing  as  an  infant  a  few  hours  old  a 
  cathedral  centuries  old 
 
  And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Jacob,  How  old  art  thou? 
  --Cen.  xlvii. 
  8. 
 
  Note:  In  this  use  old  regularly  follows  the  noun  that 
  designates  the  age;  as  she  was  eight  years  old 
 
  5.  Long  practiced;  hence  skilled;  experienced;  cunning;  as 
  an  old  offender;  old  in  vice. 
 
  Vane,  young  in  years,  but  in  sage  counsel  old 
  --Milton. 
 
  6.  Long  cultivated;  as  an  old  farm;  old  land,  as  opposed  to 
  {new}  land,  that  is  to  land  lately  cleared. 
 
  7.  Worn  out  weakened  or  exhausted  by  use  past  usefulness; 
  as  old  shoes;  old  clothes. 
 
  8.  More  than  enough;  abundant.  [Obs.] 
 
  If  a  man  were  porter  of  hell  gate,  he  should  have 
  old  turning  the  key.  --Shak. 
 
  9.  Aged;  antiquated;  hence  wanting  in  the  mental  vigor  or 
  other  qualities  belonging  to  youth;  --  used  disparagingly 
  as  a  term  of  reproach. 
 
  10.  Old-fashioned;  wonted;  customary;  as  of  old  as  the  good 
  old  times;  hence  colloquially,  gay;  jolly. 
 
  11.  Used  colloquially  as  a  term  of  cordiality  and 
  familiarity.  ``Go  thy  ways,  old  lad.''  --Shak. 
 
  {Old  age},  advanced  years;  the  latter  period  of  life. 
 
  {Old  bachelor}.  See  {Bachelor},  1. 
 
  {Old  Catholics}.  See  under  {Catholic}. 
 
  {Old  English}.  See  under  {English}.  n.,  2. 
 
  {Old  Nick},  {Old  Scratch},  the  devil. 
 
  {Old  lady}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  large  European  noctuid  moth  ({Mormo 
  maura}). 
 
  {Old  maid}. 
  a  A  woman,  somewhat  advanced  in  years,  who  has  never 
  been  married;  a  spinster. 
  b  (Bot.)  A  West  Indian  name  for  the  pink-flowered 
  periwinkle  ({Vinca  rosea}). 
  c  A  simple  game  of  cards,  played  by  matching  them  The 
  person  with  whom  the  odd  card  is  left  is  the  old 
  maid. 
 
  {Old  man's  beard}.  (Bot.) 
  a  The  traveler's  joy  ({Clematis  Vitalba}).  So  named 
  from  the  abundant  long  feathery  awns  of  its  fruit. 
  b  The  {Tillandsia  usneoides}.  See  {Tillandsia}. 
 
  {Old  man's  head}  (Bot.),  a  columnar  cactus  ({Pilocereus 
  senilis}),  native  of  Mexico,  covered  towards  the  top  with 
  long  white  hairs. 
 
  {Old  red  sandstone}  (Geol.),  a  series  of  red  sandstone  rocks 
  situated  below  the  rocks  of  the  Carboniferous  age  and 
  comprising  various  strata  of  siliceous  sandstones  and 
  conglomerates.  See  {Sandstone},  and  the  Chart  of 
  {Geology}. 
 
  {Old  school},  a  school  or  party  belonging  to  a  former  time, 
  or  preserving  the  character,  manner,  or  opinions  of  a 
  former  time;  as  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school;  --  used 
  also  adjectively;  as  Old-School  Presbyterians. 
 
  {Old  sledge},  an  old  and  well-known  game  of  cards,  called 
  also  {all  fours},  and  {high,  low  Jack,  and  the  game}. 
 
  {Old  squaw}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  duck  ({Clangula  hyemalis}) 
  inhabiting  the  northern  parts  of  both  hemispheres.  The 
  adult  male  is  varied  with  black  and  white  and  is 
  remarkable  for  the  length  of  its  tail.  Called  also 
  {longtailed  duck},  {south  southerly},  {callow},  {hareld}, 
  and  {old  wife}. 
 
  {Old  style}.  (Chron.)  See  the  Note  under  {Style}. 
 
  {Old  Testament}.  See  under  {Testament}. 
 
  {Old  wife}.  [In  the  senses 
  b  and 
  c  written  also  {oldwife}.] 
  a  A  prating  old  woman;  a  gossip. 
 
  Refuse  profane  and  old  wives'  fables.  --1  Tim. 
  iv  7. 
  b  (Zo["o]l.)  The  local  name  of  various  fishes,  as  the 
  European  black  sea  bream  ({Cantharus  lineatus}),  the 
  American  alewife,  etc 
  c  (Zo["o]l.)  A  duck;  the  old  squaw. 
 
  {Old  World},  the  Eastern  Hemisphere. 
 
  Syn:  Aged;  ancient;  pristine;  primitive;  antique;  antiquated; 
  old-fashioned;  obsolete.  See  {Ancient}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  oldwife 
  n  1:  tropical  Atlantic  fish  [syn:  {queen  triggerfish},  {Bessy 
  cerca},  {oldwench},  {Balistes  vetula}] 
  2:  a  common  long-tailed  sea  duck  of  the  northern  parts  of  the 
  United  States  [syn:  {old  squaw},  {Clangula  hyemalis}] 




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