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senectitude

 
Dictionary: se·nec·ti·tude
(sĭ-nĕk'tĭ-tūd', -tyūd') pronunciation
n.
Old age; elderliness.

[Medieval Latin senectitūdō, from Latin senectūs, from senex, old, an elder.]


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Wordsmith Words: senectitude
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(si-NEK-ti-tood, -tyood)

noun
Old age.

Etymology
From Latin senectus (old age), from senex (old). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sen- (old) that's also the ancestor of senior, sir, sire, senate, senile, Spanish señor, and surly (which is an alteration of sirly, as in sir-ly).]

Usage
"As for Skywalker John, his fortune is made back on earth giving television testimonials for laxatives, rheumatism medicaments, diapers and walkers. If those images are unsettling, please remember the old saw that senectitude is not for the faint of heart." — Nicholas von Hoffman; All Hail the World's Oldest Lab Rat; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Nov 17, 1998.


Thesaurus: senectitude
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noun

    Old age: age, agedness, elderliness, senescence, year (used in plural). See youth/age/maturity.

 
 

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wordsmith Words. © 2009 Wordsmith.org. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more