Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of, relating to, or belonging to times long past, especially before the fall of the Western Roman Empire (AD 476): synonym: old.
- adjective Of great age; very old.
- adjective Archaic Having the qualities associated with age, wisdom, or long use; venerable.
- noun A very old person.
- noun A person who lived in times long past.
- noun The peoples of the classical nations of antiquity.
- noun The ancient Greek and Roman authors.
- noun Archaic An ensign; a flag.
- noun Obsolete A flag-bearer or lieutenant.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Middle English auncien, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *anteānus : Latin ante, before; see ant- in Indo-European roots + -ānus, adj. and n. suff.]
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Alteration of ensign.]
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Examples
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