vintage
vintage Lexical Profile
vintage Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Originating from a past era and characterized by high quality, enduring appeal, or classic style.
"She collects vintage leather jackets and mid-century furniture from local estate sales."
Denoting wine of high quality made from the harvest of a single specified year and district.
"The sommelier recommended a bottle of vintage champagne to celebrate their anniversary."
Representing the finest, most characteristic, or most quintessential work of a particular person or group.
"The witty, fast-paced dialogue in the third act is vintage comedy from the veteran playwright."
• noun
The year or place in which wine, especially wine of high quality, was produced, or the wine itself from a particular harvest.
"The 2015 Bordeaux is widely considered an exceptional vintage by wine critics."
The time that something of quality was produced, or a group of things dating from a particular period.
"The museum displayed several classic automobiles of 1930s vintage."
The harvesting of grapes for winemaking, or the season in which this takes place.
"Heavy autumn rains threatened to delay the annual vintage across the valley."
• verb
To harvest grapes and process them into wine.
"The estate vintaged its Pinot Noir grapes early in October to preserve their natural acidity."
Word Nuance & Usage
When describing objects or clothing, 'vintage' typically refers to items from a previous era (often 20 to 99 years old) prized for their enduring quality and style, whereas 'antique' strictly applies to items at least 100 years old.
• Rhymes for vintage
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 15th century from Anglo-French 'vintage', an alteration (influenced by Middle English 'vintner') of Old French 'vendange' (wine harvest), from Latin 'vindemia', combining 'vinum' (wine) and 'demere' (to take off or remove).