Definition of old:

• 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.
• Aged; antiquated; hence, wanting in the mental vigor or other qualities belonging to youth; -- used disparagingly as a term of reproach.
• 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.
• Not new or fresh; not recently made or produced; having existed for a long time; as, old wine; an old friendship.
• Formerly existing; ancient; not modern; preceding; original; as, an old law; an old custom; an old promise.
• Long practiced; hence, skilled; experienced; cunning; as, an old offender; old in vice.
• Long cultivated; as, an old farm; old land, as opposed to new land, that is, to land lately cleared.
• Worn out; weakened or exhausted by use; past usefulness; as, old shoes; old clothes.
• More than enough; abundant.
• Old- fashioned; wonted; customary; as of old; as, the good old times; hence, colloquially, gay; jolly.
• Used colloquially as a term of cordiality and familiarity.
• 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.
• Aged; antiquated; hence, wanting in the mental vigor or other qualities belonging to youth; - used disparagingly as a term of reproach.
• past times ( especially in the phrase ` in days of old')
• Former times; as, in days of old.
• Oldness.
• Older.
• used informally especially for emphasis; " a real honest- to- god live cowboy"; " had us a high old time"; " went upriver to look at a sure- enough fish wheel"
• just preceding something else in time or order; " the previous owner"; " my old house was larger"
• ( linguistics) of a very early stage in development; " Old English is also called Anglo Saxon"; " Old High German is High German from the middle of the 9th to the end of the 11th century"
• old in experience; " an old offender"; " the older soldiers"
• of long duration; not new; " old tradition"; " old house"; " old wine"; " old country"; " old friendships"; " old money"
• ( used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age; especially not young; often used as a combining form to indicate an age as specified as in ` a week- old baby'; " an old man's eagle mind"-- William Butler Yeats; " his mother is very old"; " a ripe old age"; " how old are you?"
• ( used for emphasis) very familiar; " good old boy"; " same old story"
• of a very early stage in development; " Old English is also called Anglo Saxon"; " Old High German is High German from the middle of the 9th to the end of the 11th century"
• Having existed or lived many years; aged; as, an old oak; having an appearance of age; as, an old face; having reached a certain age; as, twenty- one years old; ancient; out of date; as, old customs; old coins; long used; not new; as, old shoes; long practiced; as, old habits; belonging to the past; as, one's old home; long experienced; as, he is an old hand at that work.
• Oldest.
• Advanced in years: having been long in existence: decayed by time: out of date: ancient: having the age or duration of: long practiced.
• Aged; that has existed long; ancient; out of date.
• Having a great age; having some specified age; aged.
• Familiar, customary.
• Advanced in age; decayed by time; existing long; not new or fresh; ancient; of any duration whatever; previous; long practised; cultivated for long; more than enough; crafty. Old age, advanced years. Old- clothesman, a dealer in old clothes. Old- fashioned, long out of fashion. Old- gentleman, the evil one. Old- maid, an unmarried female somewhat advanced in years. Old red sandstone, a series of red sandstone rocks lying below the coal formation. Old style. Old Testament, that part of the Bible which contains the canonical books written previous to Christ. Old Tom, a sort of strong gin. Old- wife, a prating old woman; a man like an old woman in his habits.
• Far advanced in years; aged; used of any length of time, as, How old is he? he is two years old; decayed or injured by time or long use; out of date; not new or fresh.

Usage examples for old

1. But they were old.  Calvary Alley by Alice Hegan Rice

2. The good old man put the hand of Thaddeus to his lips.  Thaddeus of Warsaw by Jane Porter

3. Go to it, old girl!  The Thunder Bird by B. M. Bower

4. What did Ransford tell us about Bryce and this old Harker- think of that!  The Paradise Mystery by J. S. Fletcher