age

noun

1. 年龄
   the number of years that a person has lived or a thing has existed
   1. He left school at the age of 18.
      他18岁读完中学。
   2. She needs more friends of her own age.
      她需要更多的同龄朋友。
   3. children from 5–10 years of age
      5至10岁的儿童
   4. Young people of all ages go there to meet.
      不同年龄的年轻人都去那里聚会。
   5. When I was your age I was already married.
      我在你这个年纪时已经结婚了。
   6. He started playing the piano at an early age .
      他幼年开始弹钢琴。
   7. All ages admitted.
      老幼均可入内。
   8. Children over the age of 12 must pay full fare.
      12岁以上儿童须购全票。
   9. She was beginning to feel her age (= feel that she was getting old) .
      她开始感到自己上年纪了。
   10. He was tall for his age (= taller than you would expect, considering his age) .
       以他的年龄，他算高个子。
   11. There's a big age gap between them (= a big difference in their ages).
       他们的年龄相差很大。
   12. ways of calculating the age of the earth
       计算地球年龄的方法
2. 年龄段
   a particular period of a person's life
   1. middle age
      中年
   2. 15 is an awkward age.
      15岁是个尴尬的年纪。
   3. He died of old age.
      他终其天年。
3. （历史上的）时代，时期
   a particular period of history
   1. the nuclear age
      核时代
   2. the age of the computer
      计算机时代
4. 老年；陈年；破旧；老化
   the state of being old
   1. Wine improves with age .
      陈酒味浓。
   2. The jacket was showing signs of age.
      这件夹克已露出破旧的痕迹。
   3. the wisdom that comes with age
      随着年龄而增加的智慧
5. 很长时间
   a very long time
   1. I waited for ages .
      我等了好长时间。
   2. It'll probably take ages to find a parking space.
      大概得老半天才能找到停车位。
   3. Carlos left ages ago .
      卡洛斯老早就离开了。
   4. It's been an age since we've seen them.
      我们有很长一段时间没有见到他们了。
6. 期
   a length of time which is a division of an epoch

verb

1. 变老
   to become older
   1. As he aged, his memory got worse.
      他随着年事增高，记忆力就变差了。
   2. The population is aging (= more people are living longer) .
      人口正在老龄化。
2. 使显老；使变老；使苍老
   to make sb/sth look, feel or seem older
   1. The shock has aged her.
      这次打击让她显得苍老了。
   2. Exposure to the sun ages the skin.
      太阳曝晒会使皮肤粗老。
3. （使）成熟，变陈
   to develop in flavour over a period of time; to allow sth to do this
   1. The cheese is left to age for at least a year.
      这种奶酪至少要搁一年才成熟。
   2. The wine is aged in oak casks.
      这种酒是用栎木酒桶陈放的。

The spelling aging is also used, mainly in American English. 亦拼作aging，主要用于美国英语。


1. N-VAR 年龄
   Your age is the number of years that you have lived.
   1. She has a nephew who is just ten years of age...
      她有一个才10岁的侄子。
   2. At the age of sixteen he qualified for a place at the University of Hamburg...
      16岁时，他就有资格进入汉堡大学。
   3. I admired him for being so confident at his age.
      我钦佩他这般年纪就如此自信。
2. N-VAR 寿命
   The age of a thing is the number of years since it was made.
   1. Everything in the room looks in keeping with the age of the building.
      房间里的一切看起来都与这栋建筑物的存在年头很相称。
3. N-UNCOUNT 老年；变老
   Age is the state of being old or the process of becoming older.
   1. Perhaps he has grown wiser with age...
      可能随着年纪增长，他变聪明了。
   2. The fabric was showing signs of age...
      这块衣料可以看出岁月留下的痕迹。
   3. The worst sign of age was in the fabric which looked decidedly ancient.
      岁月最无情的痕迹留在了那块看起来明显很古老的织物上。
4. V-ERG （使）变老；（使）显老
   When someone ages, or when something ages them, they seem much older and less strong or less alert.
   1. He had always looked so young, but he seemed to have aged in the last few months...
      他原来一直看起来很年轻，但最近几个月他显得老了。
   2. He was only in his mid-thirties, but already worry had aged him.
      他虽然只有三十五六岁，但忧虑让他很显老。
5. V-ERG （使）变陈；（使）成熟
   When food or alcohol is aged or when it ages, it is left to get older before being eaten or drunk, so that it develops a better flavour.
   1. Balsamic vinegar is aged in wood for at least 10 years and the flavour is wonderful...
      意大利香醋在木桶中就经历了至少10年的酝酿期，所以口味极佳。
   2. Whisky loses strength as it ages.
      存放时间越久，威士忌的口味越淡。
6. N-COUNT （一）代；时代；时期
   An age is a period in history.
   1. ...the age of steam and steel.
      蒸汽和钢铁时代
   2. ...items of Bronze Age pottery.
      青铜器时代的陶器
7. N-COUNT 很长的时间
   You can say an age or ages to mean a very long time.
   1. He waited what seemed an age...
      他等了似乎很长时间。
   2. The bus took absolutely ages to arrive.
      公共汽车过了很长时间才来。
8. See also: aged ageing coming of age dark age golden age Ice Age Iron Age middle age Stone Age
9. 举止和年龄相称
   If someone tells you to act your age, they are telling you to behave in a way that is suitable for someone your age, because they think you are behaving in a childish way.
10. PHRASE 成熟；发达
    If something comes of age, it reaches an important stage of development and is accepted by a large number of people.
    1. Recycling is an issue that has come of age in Britain in the last decade.
       回收利用是上个十年中被英国民众广泛认可的观念。
11. PHRASE 成年;达到法定年龄
    When someone comes of age, they become legally an adult.
    1. The company was to be held in trust for Eddie until he came of age.
       在埃迪达到法定年龄之前，该公司将委托他人代为经营。
12. PHRASE 未到合法年龄的;未成年的
    Someone who is under age is not legally old enough to do something, for example to buy an alcoholic drink.
    1. Because she was under age, her parents were still responsible for her.
       因为她还未成年，她的父母仍然应为她负责。
    2. ...under age smoking.
       未成年吸烟

1. She has a nephew who is just ten years of age
   她有一个才10岁的侄子。
2. At the age of sixteen he qualified for a place at the University of Hamburg
   16岁时，他就有资格进入汉堡大学。
3. I admired him for being so confident at his age.
   我钦佩他这般年纪就如此自信。
4. Everything in the room looks in keeping with the age of the building.
   房间里的一切看起来都与这栋建筑物的存在年头很相称。
5. Perhaps he has grown wiser with age
   可能随着年纪增长，他变聪明了。
6. The fabric was showing signs of age
   这块衣料可以看出岁月留下的痕迹。
7. The worst sign of age was in the fabric which looked decidedly ancient.
   岁月最无情的痕迹留在了那块看起来明显很古老的织物上。
8. He had always looked so young, but he seemed to have aged in the last few months
   他原来一直看起来很年轻，但最近几个月他显得老了。
9. He was only in his mid-thirties, but already worry had aged him.
   他虽然只有三十五六岁，但忧虑让他很显老。
10. Balsamic vinegar is aged in wood for at least 10 years and the flavour is wonderful
    意大利香醋在木桶中就经历了至少10年的酝酿期，所以口味极佳。
11. Whisky loses strength as it ages.
    存放时间越久，威士忌的口味越淡。
12. He waited what seemed an age
    他等了似乎很长时间。
13. The bus took absolutely ages to arrive.
    公共汽车过了很长时间才来。
14. Recycling is an issue that has come of age in Britain in the last decade.
    回收利用是上个十年中被英国民众广泛认可的观念。
15. The company was to be held in trust for Eddie until he came of age.
    在埃迪达到法定年龄之前，该公司将委托他人代为经营。
16. Because she was under age, her parents were still responsible for her.
    因为她还未成年，她的父母仍然应为她负责。
17. In his old age he became a benefactor of the arts.
    他晚年成了一个艺术赞助人。
18. Her face was a revelation of age and dissipation.
    她的脸暴露了她的年龄和放荡的生活。
19. I find most of the young men of my own age so boring
    我觉得和我同龄的年轻人大多都很无聊。
20. I had comments from people in all age groups.
    我听取了各年龄段人们的意见。
21. She's indexed the book by author, by age, and by illustrator.
    她根据作者、年龄和插图画家分别为该书编了索引。
22. I was meeting these chaps who were mostly more or less my own age.
    我见到了这帮小伙子，他们多数和我年龄相仿。
23. He was well past retirement age
    他早过了退休年龄。
24. He has the physique and energy of a man half his age.
    他的体格和精力比得上年龄只有他一半大的人。
25. Margaret had reached the age of puberty.
    玛格丽特已到了青春期。
26. Most of them have young children below school age.
    他们中多数人都有岁数不到学龄期的孩子。
27. The way children talk about or express their feelings depends on their age and stage of development
    儿童谈论或表达自己感情的方式取决于他们的年龄和所处的发育阶段。
28. She is not of marriageable age.
    她还没有到婚龄。
29. The boy has reached an adult age and ought to be earning his own living.
    这孩子已经（到了）成年，应该自食其力了。

n.

be/act your age

• 行为和年龄相称；举止不再有孩子气
  to behave in a way that is suitable for sb of your age and not as though you were much younger

come of age

• 成年；达到法定年龄
  when a person comes of age , they reach the age when they have an adult's legal rights and responsibilities
• 成熟；发达
  if sth comes of age , it reaches the stage of development at which people accept and value it

look your age

• 容貌与年龄相当
  to seem as old as you really are and not younger or older

under age

• 未到法定年龄
  not legally old enough to do a particular thing
  1. It is illegal to sell cigarettes to children who are under age.
     售香烟给未到法定年龄的儿童是非法的。

of advanced years

sb's advanced age

• 高龄；年事已高
  used in polite expressions to describe sb as ‘very old’
  1. He was a man of advanced years.
     他年事已高。
  2. Even at my advanced age I still know how to enjoy myself!
     我虽说是黄昏暮年，也还懂得如何找乐儿！

of a certain age

• 不算年轻的；年纪不轻的；中年的
  if you talk about a person being of a certain age , you mean that they are no longer young but not yet old
  1. The show appeals to an audience of a certain age.
     这个节目中年观众感兴趣。

in this day and age

• 当代；当今；在今天这个时代
  now, in the modern world

feel your age

• （尤指与较年轻者比）感到自己上年纪了，意识到自己老了
  to realize that you are getting old, especially compared with people you are with who are younger than you

a/the grand old age

• 高龄
  a great age
  1. She finally learned to drive at the grand old age of 70.
     她终于在70岁高龄学会了开车。

a/the ripe old age (of…)

• （…的）高龄
  an age that is considered to be very old
  1. He lived to the ripe old age of 91.
     他活到了91岁的高龄。

noun

1. how long something has existed
   1. it was replaced because of its age

2. a time of life (usually defined in years) at which some particular qualification or power arises
   1. she was now of school age
   2. tall for his eld

   Synonym:    eld

3. a late time of life
   1. old age is not for sissies
   2. he's showing his years
   3. age hasn't slowed him down at all
   4. a beard white with eld
   5. on the brink of geezerhood

   Synonym:    old ageyearseldgeezerhood

4. a prolonged period of time
   1. we've known each other for ages
   2. I haven't been there for years and years

   Synonym:    long timeyears

5. an era of history having some distinctive feature
   1. we live in a litigious age

   Synonym:    historic period

verb

1. grow old or older
   1. She aged gracefully
   2. we age every day--what a depressing thought!
   3. Young men senesce

   Synonym:    senesceget onmaturematurate

2. begin to seem older
   1. The death of his wife caused him to age fast

3. make older
   1. The death of his child aged him tremendously