age

n.

1. The length of time that one has existed; duration of life: 23 years of age.
2. The time of life when a person becomes qualified to assume certain civil and personal rights and responsibilities, usually at 18 or 21 years; legal age: under age; of age.
3. One of the stages of life: the age of adolescence; at an awkward age.
4. The state of being old; old age: hair white with age.
5. often Age
   1. A period in the history of humankind marked by a distinctive characteristic or achievement: the Stone Age; the computer age.
   2. A period in the history of the earth, usually shorter than an epoch: the Ice Age.
   3. A period of time marked by the presence or influence of a dominant figure: the Elizabethan Age. See synonyms at period.
6. 1. The period of history during which a person lives: a product of his age.
   2. A generation: ages yet unborn.
7. ages Informal. An extended period of time: left ages ago.

v., aged, ag·ing, ag·es.

v.tr.

1. To cause to become old.
2. To cause to mature or ripen under controlled conditions: aging wine.
3. To change (the characteristics of a device) through use, especially to stabilize (an electronic device).

v.intr.

1. To become old.
2. To manifest traits associated with old age.
3. To develop a certain quality of ripeness; become mature: cheese aging at room temperature. See synonyms at mature.

phrasal verb:

age out Informal.

1. To reach an age, 18 or 21 years, for example, at which one is no longer eligible for certain special services, such as education or protection, from the state.

idiom:

come of age

1. To reach maturity.

[Middle English, from Old French aage, from Vulgar Latin *aetāticum, from Latin aetās, aetāt-, age.]

ager ag'er n.

noun

1. Old age: agedness, elderliness, senectitude, senescence, year (used in plural). See youth/age/maturity.
2. A particular time notable for its distinctive characteristics: day, epoch, era, period, time (often used in plural). See time.
3. A long time. eon, eternity, long, year (used in plural). Informal blue moon. Idioms: forever and a day, forever and ever, month of Sundays. See time.

verb

1. To grow old: get along, get on. See youth/age/maturity.
2. To bring or come to full development: develop, grow, maturate, mature, mellow, ripen. See youth/age/maturity.

n

The period of time a person has existed since birth or an object has existed since its beginning.

geology A smaller, informal unit in the context of the geochronologic scale, being usually less than an epoch, but used also to span epochs.

The different attitudes and behaviours displayed by people of different ages add an important dynamic aspect to politics. This can be seen through the effects of general demographic changes, and studied at the level of individual and generational change over time.

Age, along with migration and immigration, affects the demographic composition of a country, relating to the structure and development of the population. This in turn can be seen to affect the relative importance of particular policies and attitudes. In the West, low birth rates and increased life expectancy have led to a larger proportion of elderly people within society. Issues such as pension provision and the personal health services provided in old age have moved up the political agenda, amidst concern that the shift in ratio of working to non-working population could have serious implications for public service provision. In Europe, this demographic change has been marked by the emergence of Pensioners' parties to campaign for the political rights of the elderly; and in the United States the emergence of activist groups such as the Gray Panthers. Other countries with rapidly growing populations, such as India, where 40 per cent of the population is under 18, face different social priorities, with more focus on, for instance, education and youth employment.

Age differences have been shown to be associated with very different political attitudes and behaviour. The British Election Survey has shown that the elderly are more likely to have right-wing views; whilst the young are less likely to be members of political parties or to turn out to vote. Two different age effects can be discerned, when studying political change; a cohort (or generational) effect and a life-cycle effect. People brought up in a particular period, known as an age cohort, can be seen to have certain shared experiences and values which are reflected in their political choices. In Political Change in Britain (1969) Butler and Stokes argue that the elderly were less likely to vote Labour partly because their formative years of political activity occurred before the party was a major force in British politics. Life-cycle effects reflect the changing material interests of individuals as they pass through different stages of life—with the elderly more interested in issues related to pension provision, those with young children more interested in educational provision, the young more interested in licensing laws, etc. Older people tend to have higher incomes, and are more likely to favour parties offering low taxation, such as the Conservatives in Britain. Distinguishing between life-cycle and cohort effects needs careful study of change over time, through tools such as panel survey studies.

The rights of particular age groups have been championed by a variety of organizations, and opposition to ageism has become an integral part of campaigns for human rights. 1989 the United Nations adopted a Convention on the Rights of the Child, which sought to enhance the protection and treatment of children throughout the world. Ageism, evident when the elderly face discrimination or stereotyped attitudes, has received increasing attention since the 1960s. Since age is a constantly changing attribute of individuals, as we all grow older, it requires a different conceptual treatment from attributes such as sex or race; although there is also a gender aspect to ageism, since women tend to live longer than men.

Concern has been raised that the young are becoming increasingly disillusioned with party politics; and are turning to single-issue campaigns and protest movements. Here again, it is important to distinguish between cohort effects and life-cycle issues. The changes in technology and the media mean that the young generation have different opportunities and approaches to political issues, whilst events such as the fall of the Soviet Union have radically changed the context of political discourse. Hence, the younger generations have to work out new modes of political discourse to reflect their perceptions of the modern world. In terms of life-cycle issues, parliamentary politics is a middle-aged game, and is likely to stay that way. Youth protest has been a highlight of campaigns against the Vietnam War, the French Fifth Republic, and the poll tax in Britain. However, as they grow older, young militant campaigners have tended to be assimilated into (or even shape) the established political culture.

— Alistair McMillan

1. The period of time a person has lived.

2. A period or state of the human life cycle. See actuarial age, biological age, chronological age.

The process of maturing wines so that they can improve. Those wines that benefit from aging become less harsh, less tannic, smoother and more complex. Once wines complete fermentation they begin to change, mainly as a result of air contact but also because the natural components of the new wine begin interacting with one another. All rosé wines and most white and light red wines should be bottled soon after fermentation and drunk while still young. But aging is necessary for some wines to reach their full potential. These include most fine red wines (such as those from France's bordeaux and rhône regions, California's better cabernet sauvignons and zinfandels and Italy's barolos and brunello di montalcinos) and many white wines (sauternes, burgundies and some California chardonnays). Wines begin the aging process in the tanks or vats where they go through fermentation. After that, most high-quality wines receive some sort of wood aging and then bottle aging. Wood aging, sometimes referred to as barrel aging, cask aging, or barrel maturation, is a process of maturing wine in barrels or casks prior to bottling. This process allows young wines to soften and absorb some of the wood's flavors and tannins the wine's flavors become concentrated because of slight evaporation. In modern winemaking, wood aging has become very complex, with considerations like size of container, origin and type of wood, and barrel-making techniques. Although the best sources for barrel oak are still being debated (see oak), the small oak barrel has evolved as today's container of choice. Bottle aging further develops the nuances of wine. After a wine is bottled, the first few weeks of aging allow it to recover from bottle sickness. The length of further aging depends upon the type of wine. Many, including rosé, light white, and light red wines, are at their best soon after bottling and don't require further aging. White wines like California Chardonnay do well with a minimum of 6 to 12 months aging, whereas French white Burgundy and Sauternes develop better with extended bottle aging. Long-lived red wines-such as California Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, French Bordeaux, Italian Barolo, and vintage port-improve for many years, sometimes decades. Such wines evolve beautifully in the bottle as their tannins soften and the flavor and bouquet become more intriguing and complex. At some point, however, the wine hits its peak and begins declining in quality, making bottle aging no longer beneficial.

1. the duration, or the measure of time of the existence of an animal or object.
2. to undergo change as a result of passage of time.

• a. adjustment — see data adjustment.
• a. associated disease — diseases which occur at particular ages, either because of changes in the animal's biochemistry or immunity or because of variations in exposure of the animals because of a change in management.
• a. descriptor — terms other than years used to indicate the age of animals, e.g. two-tooth, first-lactation.
• a. determination — in the absence of explicit records about birth dates the estimation of age is a frequent task for veterinarians. The eruption, then the growth of teeth to apposition and then the wear of the teeth are the best guide to age in horses, cattle, sheep and goat, but not in the pig. In the pig and the dog some assistance can be obtained from examination of the teeth, but the general appearance of the animal and the history are the best means. See also rule of six.
• a. distribution — the proportion of the total population which is in each of the specified age groups.
• first joining a. — a critical point in the economy of a herd or flock. In seasonal animal production systems unnecessary delay may cause loss of a year's productivity for each female. Starting too early may cause losses due to difficult parturition in small dams and a poor conception rate.
• a. groups — cattle and sheep being grazed extensively are commonly segregated into age groups because they are dealt with as groups for purposes of mating, vaccination, prophylactic treatment and eventually culling for old age.
• a.-matched control — in a comparison of performance between groups it is desirable to create the groups by pairing a series of treatment animals and control animals for all significant variables, of which age would be one of the most important.
• a. pigment — lipofuscin.
• slaughter a. — the age at which the animals in a group are to be slaughtered. Varies with the meat objective, the price in the market, opportunities for replacement and the capacity to carry additional animals on the feed available.
• a.-specific death rate — the death rate for a specified age group as a proportion of a total number of specified animal × time period, such as cow × years.
• weaning a. — see weaning age.

A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce

n.

That period of life in which we compound for the vices that we still cherish by reviling those that we have no longer the enterprise to commit.

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IN BRIEF: The amount of time that a person, animal, or thing has lived or existed.

I do not feel any age yet. There is no age to the spirit. — Unknown from www.zaadz.com.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - alder, periode, æra, levetid
v. tr. - modne, lagre
v. intr. - ældes, modnes

idioms:

• age limit    aldersbegrænsning
• age of consent    ægteskabsalder
• come of age    blive myndig
• for ages    i årevis
• in the age of    i -alderen
• of age    myndig

Nederlands (Dutch)
leeftijd, tijdperk, ouderdom, eeuwigheid, verouderen, (laten) rijpen

Français (French)
n. - âge, vieillesse, (Géol) âge, (Hist, Littérat) époque, siècle, (gén) éternité (npl)
v. tr. - vieillir, laisser vieillir (un vin, etc), classer par antériorité (des comptes)
v. intr. - vieillir, prendre de l'âge

idioms:

• age limit    limite d'âge
• age of consent    (Jur) âge de consentement
• age out    dépasser l'âge
• come of age    atteindre sa majorité
• for ages    pendant une éternité/temps fou
• in the age of    du temps de, lors de, à l'époque de
• of age    être majeur
• of an age    être du même âge

Deutsch (German)
n. - Alter, Zeitalter
v. - altern

idioms:

• age limit    Altersgrenze
• age of consent    Volljährigkeit, Mündigkeit
• age out    wegen des Alters nicht mehr für bestimmte Stellen wählbar
• come of age    volljährig werden
• for ages    eine Ewigkeit
• in the age of    im Zeitalter der
• of age    volljährig, mündig
• of an age    in dem Alter

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - γερνώ, ωριμάζω, παλιώνω
n. - ηλικία, γεράματα, αιώνας, εποχή, περίοδος, γενεά, ενηλικίωση

idioms:

• age limit    όριο ηλικίας
• age of consent    νόμιμη ηλικία, ηλικία που δεν συνιστά το αδίκημα της αποπλάνησης
• come of age    ενηλικιώνομαι
• for ages    (για) πολύ καιρό ή ώρα, χρόνια και ζαμάνια
• in the age of    την εποχή, τα χρόνια του..
• look one's age    δείχνω την ηλικία μου
• of age    ενήλικος
• old age    γήρας, γεράματα, γερατειά

Italiano (Italian)
invecchiare, età, anzianità, epoca

idioms:

• age limit    limite d'età
• age of consent    l'età adulta
• for ages    da secoli
• in the age of    all'epoca di
• of age    maggiorenne
• under age    minorenne

Português (Portuguese)
v. - envelhecer, fazer envelhecer
n. - idade (f), velhice (f), período (m) histórico, século (m)

idioms:

• age limit    limite (m) de idade
• age of consent    idade do consentimento
• Bronze Age    Idade do Bronze
• come of age    atingir a maioridade, atingir um importante estágio de desenvolvimento
• Dark Ages    Idade das Trevas
• early Middle Ages    começo da Idade Média
• for ages    por séculos
• Ice Age    Idade do Gelo
• in the age of    na idade de
• Iron Age    Idade do Ferro
• late Middle Ages    fim da Idade Média
• of age    adulto
• old age    idade antiga
• Stone Age    Idade da Pedra
• under age    menor de idade

Русский (Russian)
стареть, возраст, век, время в истории

idioms:

• age limit    ограничения по возрасту
• age of consent    возраст вступления в брак
• Bronze Age    бронзовый век
• come of age    достичь совершеннолетия
• Dark Ages    средневековье
• early Middle Ages    начало средневековья
• for ages    очень долго, очень давно
• Ice Age    ледниковый период
• in the age of    во временах
• Iron Age    железный век
• late Middle Ages    конец средневековья веков
• of age    достичь совершеннолетия
• old age    старость
• Stone Age    каменный век
• under age    несовершеннолетний

Español (Spanish)
n. - edad, era
v. tr. - envejecer, encanecer
v. intr. - envejecer, encanecer

idioms:

• age limit    límite de edad
• age of consent    mayoría de edad
• age out    pasado de edad, no apto
• come of age    alcanzar la mayoría de edad
• for ages    desde hace mucho tiempo, hace siglos
• in the age of    en tiempos de
• of age    mayor de edad
• of an age    de o para una edad determinada

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - åldras
n. - ålder, generation, släkte

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
年龄, 法定年龄, 某一时期, 成年, 使变老, 使成熟, 使味道变醇, 变老, 成熟

idioms:

• age limit    年龄限制
• age of consent    法律承诺年龄, 法定年龄
• come of age    成年, 达到法定年龄
• for ages    很长时间
• in the age of    处在...时代
• of age    成年

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 年齡, 法定年齡, 某一時期, 成年
v. tr. - 使變老, 使成熟, 使味道變醇
v. intr. - 變老, 成熟, 使味道變醇

idioms:

• age limit    年齡限制
• age of consent    法律承諾年齡, 法定年齡
• come of age    成年, 達到法定年齡
• for ages    很長時間
• in the age of    處在...時代
• of age    成年

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 나이, 성년, 오랫동안, 세대
v. tr. - 늙게 하다, 묵히다
v. intr. - 나이를 먹다, 해가 가다

idioms:

• come of age    성년이 되다
• in the age of    그 나이의

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 年齢, 年, 一時期, 老年, 成年, 長い間, 時代, 一時代の人々, 一生
v. - 年をとる, 熟成する

idioms:

• age limit    年齢制限, 定年
• age of Aquarius    水瓶座の時代
• age of consent    承諾年齢
• come of age    成年に達する
• for ages    長年の間
• in the age of    年齢で
• of age    ～歳で
• over age    成年以上で, 年をとりすぎて

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يشيخ, يهرم, ينضج (الاسم) عمر, سن, متوسط عمر الفرد‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮גיל, זקנה, תוחלת החיים, תקופה, דור, תקופה בחיים, זמן רב‬
v. tr. - ‮גרם להזדקנות‬
v. intr. - ‮הזקין‬

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age of empires	age of mythology
age of empire	brain age