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Definition of methuselah

methuselah

/məˈθuː.zə.lə/
Me · thu · se · lah

Plural:methuselahs
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methuselah Lexical Profile

methuselah Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A person, animal, or living organism that has reached an extremely advanced age.

Example

"Researchers studied the ancient bristlecone pine, considering it a true methuselah of the forest at over four thousand years old."


2

An exceptionally large glass bottle used primarily for wine or Champagne, holding exactly six liters (equivalent to eight standard bottles).

Example

"To celebrate the company's decennial anniversary, the board of directors ordered a methuselah of vintage Champagne."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Word Nuance & Usage

Often capitalized as 'Methuselah' when referring directly to the biblical figure, but generally lowercased when used metaphorically for a very old entity or specifically to denote the oversized wine bottle.

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from the Hebrew name מְתוּשֶׁלַח (Məṯūšélaḥ), the name of a biblical patriarch in the Book of Genesis reputed to have lived 969 years. The naming of large wine bottles follows a traditional convention of honoring biblical kings and patriarchs.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Methuselah. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/methuselah
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