aged
aged Lexical Profile
aged Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Having lived for a specified length of time; of a particular age.
"The art competition is open to all local students aged twelve to sixteen."
Having lived or existed for a very long time; advanced in years.
"He moved back to his hometown to care for his aged parents."
Brought to maturity or full flavor by being stored under controlled conditions for a period of time (especially of wine, cheese, or meat).
"The chef grated aged Parmesan cheese over the warm pasta."
• noun
Old people considered collectively as a group (usually preceded by 'the').
"The community center provides free transportation and warm meals for the aged."
Word Nuance & Usage
When meaning 'very old' (as in 'an aged parent' or 'the aged'), it is typically pronounced as two syllables (/ˈeɪdʒɪd/). When stating a specific age ('a child aged five') or describing cured products ('aged cheese'), it is pronounced as a single syllable (/eɪdʒd/).
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Middle English from the noun 'age' (borrowed from Old French 'aage', ultimately from Latin 'aetas' meaning 'time of life') plus the adjectival suffix '-ed'.